


Closure

by KleeHass



Category: Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: Angst, Cole and Diana are ride or die friends (again), F/M, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Modern AU, Shirbert, Smut, story spans several years
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:03:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 28,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26305321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KleeHass/pseuds/KleeHass
Summary: So I haven't written a story like this before, I hope it doesn't get confusing. It jumps back and forth between past and present but I do provide the headings for the past parts.
Relationships: Gilbert Blythe/Anne Shirley
Comments: 32
Kudos: 88
Collections: Shirbert smut





	1. Chapter 1

Present Day

“Alright guys, that’s it for today. It was a lovely discussion and I appreciate everyone's participation and passion for Tennyson.” Anne said and a few students laughed quietly as everyone started packing up their laptops and notebooks. “Don’t forget your final papers are due by midnight Sunday night. I won’t accept any late submissions.” She disconnected her computer from the room’s projector system and packed up her own things, taking her time in case any students wanted to chat with her although since it was a Friday afternoon class she doubted it. 

Sure enough they all filed out of the lecture hall and she grabbed her stuff and her thermos of tea and made her way across campus, smiling and nodding in response to the student's greeting her as she went. As she entered her office her cell pinged and she pulled it out of her bag, smiling when she saw the text and sitting down at her desk to reply.

[Cole] If I have to hear one more student tell me they can’t possibly turn in their final project on time because - and I quote “art can’t be rushed!” - I will scream. I’m so ready for summer vacation  
[Anne] Tell me about it. I tried to lead a discussion on Tennyson today and only 3 students actively participated. Out of like 150  
[Cole] Well I don’t blame them. That’s way too heavy for a Friday  
[Anne] Yeah yeah. Brunch Sunday?   
[Cole] Definitely, see you then. Love you  
[Anne] Love you too

Anne opened her laptop and started scrolling through her email, flagging ones from students and other faculty that she needed to reply to and checking the box on ones she’d mass delete. She was moving quickly though and instead of clicking the box on this particular one she accidentally opened it and the breath immediately left her body. 

University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine presents  
Infectious Diseases for Primary Care  
With Special Guest Speaker

U of T Alumnus   
Dr. Gilbert Blythe of the CDC 

3:00PM - Tuesday 21 April 2020  
JJR Macleod Auditorium 

She sat back in her chair and stared at the screen, willing her heart to slow down. Even though the pain had faded to a dull ache over the years every now and then it would catch her off guard and seeing his name in her email was a shock. She’d had no idea he was going to be in Toronto, let alone at her school. Not that she would have any idea unless Mary told her and she hadn’t said a word about it last week when they’d FaceTimed for Delly’s 13th birthday. 

_____________________________________________

17 Years Ago

Gilbert broke through the surface of the water, sputtering as he came up. Wiping the water from his eyes he looked up and saw the small red-head standing at the edge of the pool with her hands on her hips and glaring at him, her face flushed. 

“I can’t believe you just pushed me into the pool with my clothes on.” He said as he pulled himself out of the water. 

“You deserved it. How dare you call me Carrots? It was extremely rude.” She replied, venom in her voice. 

“Well you wouldn’t tell me your name so what was I supposed to call you? Besides it wasn’t meant to be an insult. I like carrots, they’re my favorite vegetable.” He said as he pulled his soaking wet shoes and socks off his feet. 

“That’s ridiculous!” She shrieked. “They’re the very worst vegetable! And why wouldn’t it be an insult, I know how awful my hair is! I don’t need a reminder!” 

“First of all, your hair is not awful. Second of all carrots are not the worst vegetable.” He grinned at her as he pulled his shirt off and wringed it out. “What about beets? Those are definitely worse than carrots. Or radishes. Gross.” 

She rolled her eyes. “Okay fine, those are worse than carrots but still. It was rude.” 

“So then we’re even. I insulted you even though I didn’t mean to and you pushed me into the pool. Truce?” He held out his hand and she eyed it warily, concerned that if she took it he’d push her into the pool. She glanced up at his face and he was still smiling and his eyes seemed genuine so she sighed and took it. 

“Okay. Truce.” She said and shook it, letting go quickly confused at the warmth that spread through her arm. 

“So will you tell me your name now?” He asked. 

“Oh I’m - “

“Anne!” Diana came barreling out of the house and threw her arms around her new friend. “I’m so glad you came!” 

Anne laughed and hugged her back. “Thank you for inviting me!” 

“Of course!” Diana turned and seemed to notice Gilbert for the first time. She looked him up and down. “Why are you soaking wet in your clothes?” 

He shook his head. “Ask your friend. Can I use your bathroom?” 

“Uh yeah. First door on the left down the hall. Towels are under the sink.” She pointed into the house. 

“Thanks.” His eyes flickered over at Anne. “See you soon.” He grinned. “Anne.” And with that he turned and jogged into the house, holding his soaking wet shirt and shoes in one arm. 

Diana turned to Anne. “Did you push Gilbert Blythe into my pool fully clothed?” She asked bewildered. 

Anne looked sheepish. “Yes. He called me a rude name.” 

Diana started laughing. “Oh wait until the girls hear this. They’re going to love you.”

“Why?” Anne looked perplexed. 

“Well, because he’s Gilbert Blythe! He’s the cutest and most popular boy in Avonlea. A lot of girls have crushes on him but he barely gives them the time of day. He’s a year older than us so I’m surprised he came. He’s friends with Moody though and lives in our neighborhood. Only like one street away from your house actually so maybe that’s why he came.” She glanced at Anne who still didn’t look convinced. “Anyway, he’s super nice.” 

Anne rolled her eyes at that. “Nice boys don’t insult girls they don’t know.” She muttered. 

Diana laughed and grabbed her hand. “Anyway, come up to my room.” She pulled Anne into the house and up the stairs. 

Anne followed her and was in awe of how nice Diana’s house was, she’d never been in a house this nice in fact. The living area and kitchen were huge and there was beautiful art hung up everywhere she looked. They got to Diana’s room and she tried to shove down the jealousy when she walked in. It was all frills and lace with blue accents everywhere and a huge 4-poster bed in the center. She had never seen anything so pretty. She wondered if Marilla would let her paint her room in the same shade of blue as Diana’s. 

After they changed into their swimsuits they went back out the pool and Anne had time to take in the decorations for the first time. There was a huge banner across the patio with ‘Happy 13th Birthday, Diana’ printed across it and balloons and streamers everywhere. The table by the kitchen was laden with snacks and drinks and the table next to it already had a huge pile of presents. Anne had never been to a nicer party and was both nervous and giddy to be there. 

Other kids had arrived while they were upstairs and there was a group of girls hanging out on some of the lounge chairs, trying their best to both look cool for and ignore the group of boys already wrestling in the pool. Diana dragged her over to the girls. 

“Girls! This is my new friend Anne I told you about. Anne - this is Tilly, Ruby, Josie, and Jane.” She pointed at each one respectively. 

“It’s nice to meet you.” She said nervously, taking in their brightly colored bikinis and well aware of the drab one piece that Marilla had insisted she wear. 

“It’s nice to meet you too.” The one named Tillie replied. “Diana has told us a lot about you.” 

“Is it true you’re an orphan?” Josie asked snidely, ignoring the dirty look Diana shot her. 

“Well, yes.” Anne replied. 

“She’s not anymore though.” Diana jumped in. “The Cuthbert’s adopted her.” 

“I’ll still always be an orphan though, Diana.” Anne gave her friend a wry smile.

Before the girls could say anything else Gilbert yelled from the pool. “Hey Anne! Are you coming in or what? We’re going to play Chicken Fight, I’ll hold you up.” 

She rolled her eyes at him and turned back to the group of girls who were gaping at her. All except Diana who just smiled. 

“You know Gilbert Blythe?” Ruby asked. 

“No.” The looks they were giving her made her nervous. 

“She pushed him into the swimming pool fully clothed.” Diana said, gleefully causing the other girls jaws to drop further. Thankfully Anne was saved from further embarrassment by Mrs. Barry bringing out a stack of pizza boxes and calling everyone over for lunch. 

After they ate they all jumped into the pool and Gilbert and Anne won three rounds of Chicken Fight before no one would play against them anymore then the group switched to Marco Polo. When it started to get dark the group toweled off and after singing happy birthday to Diana they took their cake down to the basement where a Karaoke machine was set up. They decided to battle boys against girls and Anne and Gilbert were the last ones left. They chose to sing a duet, belting out A Whole New World while their friends cheered them on. 

Soon after it was time for the boys to leave and Gilbert smiled at Anne as he got his stuff together. “You live with the Cuthberts right?” She nodded. “I’m only like a street away. You want to hang out tomorrow? We can bike pretty much anywhere in Avonlea, I’ll show you around since you’re new.” 

“Uh, sure.” She was surprised but agreed. 

“Cool. I’ll be at your house at like 10?” She nodded again and he gave her one last grin before heading upstairs. 

The girls changed into their pjs and laid on the sleeping bags, gossiping into the night while watching movies and snacking on candy. Anne fell asleep that night smiling to herself, feeling like for the first time in her life she might actually have real friends. 

_____________________________________________________

Present Day

“Hey beautiful.” Came a voice from the doorway pulling Anne’s attention from the computer screen. 

“James!” She looked up, surprised. “I wasn’t expecting you until late.” 

“Yeah. I got done with my meeting early and caught an earlier flight.” He came into the room and around to her chair, squatting down next to her. “I don’t like how we left things the other day, Anne.” 

She sighed. “I know. Me neither.” 

“Let’s just table the conversation for now. Try to have a good weekend?” He looked so hopeful she had to smile. 

“Sure. I have a few things to finish up here. Want to meet at my place in an hour? Then get dinner?” She asked. 

“Sure. Where do you want to go?” 

“There is a new burger place on Carmody Street. I’ve heard the poutine is really good. That alright?” 

“Sounds great.” He stood up and kissed the top of her head before leaving her office. “Love you.” He said and closed the door behind him.


	2. Chapter 2

16 Years Ago

“I can’t believe you’ve never had poutine. It’s like a Canadian staple.” Gilbert said as he slid into the booth. 

Anne feels a flash of irritation. “Well it’s not exactly something the orphanage was putting on the menu and I didn’t eat at restaurants a lot growing up.” She retorted. 

He looked chagrined. “Right. I’m sorry.” 

She softened. “It’s alright. I am excited to try it. Marilla is so good with baking but her regular cooking is pretty bland and boring.” She grabbed a menu and saw the huge selection of different types of poutine. “So which one are we getting?” 

He grinned. “All of them.” She gaped at him. “I want you to try all of them. And we’re getting shakes too.” 

“Gilbert there is no way we can eat all of that. We’ll explode.” 

He laughed. “We can take the rest home. I’ll have it for breakfast.” 

“Gross. You’re the only person I know who likes cold fries.” 

He ordered for them and she tucked her feet under her. “Are you excited about Bash coming to visit?” 

“Yeah. He’s bringing his new fiance, Mary. It’ll be good to meet her. And you know my dad is excited to spend more time with Bash and get to know him better.” 

Anne nodded. Gilbert’s dad had received an email one day a couple of years before from a young man in Trinidad claiming to be his son. Apparently a woman John Blythe had had a fling with when he was in the Navy gave birth to his son and never told him. It wasn’t until she passed away that Bash found out the truth about his father and reached out to John who had immediately packed up his 13 year old son and flown them out to Trinidad to meet Sebastian Lacroix. This visit was the first time Bash was coming out to see them in Avonlea though. 

“I’m excited to meet both of them.” She smiled at him and he smiled back. 

“You want to come over for dinner when they get here? You know my dad loves having you over.” 

“Maybe. I uhm, I may have plans Saturday night.” She didn’t meet his eye. 

“You do? With Diana?” He was surprised. She hadn’t told him any plans and she usually told him everything. 

“Uh no. Connor Logan asked if I wanted to go to a movie with him.” She fiddled with the straw in her shake. 

“Oh.” His stomach flipped. “Connor is kind of a tool.” 

She rolled her eyes. “No he’s not. He’s really nice.” 

He shrugged and changed the subject all the while not sure of what to make of the feeling of dread in his chest. 

____________________________________________________________________________

Present Day

Anne woke up early, the sun hadn’t even come up yet. She slipped out of bed, careful not to wake James up. She grabbed her robe and slipped out of the room quietly and down the hall to her office. She pulled a box down from the top shelf of the closet and sat down on the floor with it. Taking a deep breath she opened it and started looking through the pictures. 

She smiled as she flipped through them. The memories of her teenage years being infinitely happier than her earlier ones. She laughed at a picture of her, Jerry, Matthew, and Marilla balancing bottles on their heads and making faces at the camera. Her smile faltered as she got to a stack of her and Gilbert. The two of them sitting on his couch playing video games. The two of them sitting at a table in the school library, heads down and studying hard. Their arms around each other’s shoulders while they waited in line for bumper cars at the county fair. Her laughing as he twirled her around the dance floor at Bash and Mary’s wedding. Him standing behind her grinning at the camera as she gazed down at a newborn Delphine. Her shoving a piece of cake in his face at his 18th birthday party. 

The two of them holding each other close, his lips pressed to hers the night he graduated from U of T. She stared at that one for a long time, swallowing the pain that bubbled up in her chest and squeezing her eyes shut against the tears. She’d considered burning these particular pictures after everything that happened but had never been able to bring herself to do it. 

She threw the stack back in and dug a little deeper in the box, the next picture she pulled out made her heart catch in her throat. It was a picture of Gilbert and his dad sitting on a hospital bed. John was hooked up to what looked like a hundred tubes but he and Gilbert were grinning at the camera nonetheless. She remembered taking that picture. Remembered making them laugh just before she’d snapped it. It was probably the last picture of the two of them together. She got up and slid the picture into her school bag before putting the box back up on the shelf in the closet. 

___________________________________________________________________________

15 Years Ago

Anne sat next to Gilbert in the waiting room, silently watching the nurses walk by as if there was nothing wrong with the world. But there was. Her best friend had just lost his father and she didn’t know what to do to help him. She placed a hand on his back but he tensed up so she pulled it away. 

Marilla came into the room and sat down on the other side of Gilbert. “Gilbert, Bash will be here tomorrow. You’ll stay with us tonight okay?” Gilbert nodded, eyes glued to the floor and she continued. “Don’t worry about any of the funeral arrangements. We’ve got everything covered.” 

He looked up at her at that. “You do?” 

Marilla nodded. “Your father made sure of it.” She looked at Anne. “Matthew is on his way here. Why don’t you two wait outside for him and he’ll take you home.” 

The teenagers nodded and stood up, Anne walking slightly behind him as they left hospital. He sat down on a bench and tilted his head to the sky, eyes closed. It was a beautiful day, it betrayed the feeling of utter loss and despair that Anne felt, that she knew he was feeling. When they got home she and Matthew exchanged a look as Gilbert walked into the house silently and up the stairs to her room. She followed him up and found him already tucked under the covers, one of her pillows hugged tightly to his chest. She started to leave, to give him space but he stopped her without turning over. 

“Stay, Anne. Please stay.” He whispered. 

Her heart broke at the sadness in his voice and she nodded, removing her shoes and sliding into bed next to him. They didn’t touch, didn’t speak, they just laid there for hours. She wanted to comfort him but she didn’t know what to say. She’d lost her parents when she was a baby before she could remember them so she didn’t really understand the loss he was feeling. 

Finally he fell asleep and she turned over to watch him. “I’m sorry, Gilbert.” She whispered and reached out to push a curl back from his forehead. She sighed heavily and a few minutes later fell asleep too. 

__________________________________________________________________________

Present Day

Anne sat at the kitchen island, sipping coffee and reading an article on her phone. James came in, wearing just his boxers and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, kissing her shoulder. “Good morning, beautiful.” He murmured. 

“Morning.” She patted his hand and he let go, turning to pour himself a cup of coffee. 

He leaned against the sink and watched her for a minute. “Anne.” He finally said and she glanced up at him. “I was thinking we could go look at some places today. I was scrolling through some listings and there are some pretty great places near campus.” 

She sighed inwardly and set her mug down. “I thought we weren’t going to talk about it this weekend.” 

“I thought we weren’t going to talk about your refusal to set a date. Not about getting a place together.” He said tightly. 

“My refusal? I’m just not ready yet. I don’t know how many times I have to tell you that. And I like the way things are right now with us having our own places.” 

“And why do you think that is, Anne? Why does the thought of waking up next to me every day repulse you so much?” 

“Don’t be ridiculous, it doesn’t repulse me. I’m just not ready.” Their voices were getting louder and she knew that soon it would be escalating out of control. She took a deep breath and walked over to him, putting her hands on his chest. “I don’t want to fight again. Can you please just give me some more time?” 

His jaw clenched and he set the mug down hard on the counter. “Sure. Fine. I’m going to head home for a bit.” He pulled her hands away and left the kitchen. A few minutes later she heard the front door slam and she sighed heavily before picking up her phone and typing out a text. 

[Anne] You making breakfast?  
[Diana] Yep, chocolate chip pancakes because Joseph won’t eat anything that’s not chocolate these days. Think chocolate covered zucchini would be gross?  
[Anne] Definitely. Is there enough for me?  
[Diana] Always, come on over

Anne let herself into the house and slipped off her shoes, smiling at the sounds of chaos emanating from the kitchen. She walked down the hall and stopped in the doorway, taking in the scene. Jerry was at the stove flipping pancakes, Diana was holding baby Cordelia in one arm and trying to clean up a spill with the other, and little Joseph was running in circles around the island yelling at the top of his lungs. 

“Joseph. Son. Please stop yelling.” Jerry tried to keep his voice calm although it was unlikely Joseph had even heard him. 

“Good morning, Baynard family.” She said in a sing-song voice. 

Joseph immediately stopped screaming and went barreling towards her. “Aunt Anne!” He threw his arms around her legs and she bent over laughing to give him a kiss before walking over to Diana. She took Cordelia from her and gave her a half hug.

“Hey Anne.” Jerry flipped a pancake and gave her a quick hug. “You want chocolate chips or no?” 

“Uhm, yes, Jerry. Your sister wants chocolate chips. Do you know her at all?” Diana rolled her eyes at her husband. 

“I’m just making sure.” He said defensively. 

“Yes, Jerry, thanks. Chocolate chips sound good.” Anne started grabbing plates to set the table. “Have you talked to Marilla this week?” She asked him. 

“No. Why?” He immediately looked concerned. They had made sure that Matthew and Marilla had full time help at Green Gables since Anne and Jerry were living so far away but they were still older and they worried about them a lot. 

“Nothing, sorry. She was just hoping we could come out once the semester is over. Maybe the last week of May? Delly has a dance recital that week too so it would be good timing.” Anne poured herself a glass of juice. 

Diana nodded. “I don’t see why we can’t make that work. Can you get off work that week, Jer?” 

He glanced at the calendar on the fridge. “I have to go to Halifax for a business meeting on the 28th but I don’t see why I can’t go there from Avonlea. That’s really the only thing going on so I think we could take a couple of weeks.” 

“God Marilla is going to be ecstatic.” Anne laughed and set Cordelia on her lap. The baby happily gnawed on the teething ring Anne was holding. 

After breakfast Jerry took the kids out the backyard and Anne and Diana settled into the sofa with coffee. 

“So what’s going on?” Diana asked. 

“What do you mean? I just wanted to have breakfast with my family.” Anne sipped from her mug.

Diana rolled her eyes. “Please, Anne Shirley-Cuthbert. I know you better than that. You’re stressed.” 

Anne sighed and set her mug down on the coffee table. “James and I got into it again this morning. He wants to go house hunting.” 

“I mean, I’m always on your side, Anne, but you can’t really blame the guy. You have been engaged for over a year. You won’t move in with him and you won’t set a wedding date.” 

“I know! I know. I don’t know why I can’t bring myself to move to that next step.” She threw herself back on the sofa and stared at the ceiling. “He told me last week he felt like a placeholder.” 

“Ouch.” Diana set her mug down too and laid back next to Anne. “Placeholder for what exactly?” 

Anne threw her hands up. “Hell if I know.” 

They were both quiet for a few minutes. “Anne.” Diana started carefully. “Do you think the reason you don’t want to set a date is because of Gilbert and what happened?” 

Anne didn’t reply for a long minute. “Maybe. I mean, who can blame me for having trust issues in men, right? Not that James has ever given me any reason but the whole thing just scares me, I guess.” Diana nodded and didn’t say anything. After a minute Anne continued. “He’s going to be at the school next week. For some seminar.” 

“Who is?” Diana looked confused. 

“Gilbert.” Anne said, still looking at the ceiling. Suddenly she felt a rough shove at her shoulder. “Ow! Diana! What the hell?” 

“Gilbert is going to be in Toronto next week, Anne? Fucking lead with that shit!” 

“I’m sorry!” Anne said rubbing her shoulder. 

“Are you going to go see him?” Diana asked. 

Anne sighed and turned to look at her, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. “I want to but I also don’t want to. It’s been 8 years. How can it still hurt this much?” 

Diana’s face softened and she grabbed her friend’s hand. “Because you loved him and he was your best friend and you lost him and you had no closure. I think you should go see him. Maybe it’ll give you the closure you need to move things forward with James.” 

Anne nodded and laid her head on Diana’s shoulder. “It just still hurts so much, Di. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to face him.” 

____________________________________________________________________________

11 Years Ago

“Anne?” A familiar voice slurred out followed by a loud knock on her dorm door. She glanced over at Diana who looked at her with eyebrows raised. 

“Is that Gilbert?” Diana asked. “It’s so late.” 

“I think so.” Anne got up and went to the door, opening it cautiously. Things had been a bit strained between them since their fight the summer before. And while things had gotten a little better once she was at U of T with him she still didn’t really see him all that much since he spent most of his free time with Christine. 

“Anne!” Gilbert threw his arms around her. “Hey!” 

She laughed. “Hi Gil. Are you okay? Are you drunk?” 

“Not really, I had a few shots.” He saw Diana on her bed. “Hey Di!” 

“Hey Gilbert.” Diana said amused. 

“Gil - what are you doing here?” Anne asked. 

He turned to her, face suddenly serious. “Anne. Tell me why you broke up with Roy.” 

That caught her off guard. “What?” 

“Tell me why you broke up with Roy.” He said again, not moving. 

“I - uh…” She looked at Diana helplessly who just shrugged back. “Because I didn’t want to do long distance anymore, I guess.” 

“Was that the only reason? Do you still love him? Did you ever love him?” Gilbert persisted. 

Diana got up and started gathering her things. “I’m going to go stay at Jerry’s tonight.” 

“What? No! Diana!” Anne looked mildly panicked but Diana just grinned at her. 

“You guys need to talk.” She opened the door and shot Anne a pointed look. “Love you!” And with that she was gone. Gilbert had never taken his eyes off of Anne. 

She sighed and went to sit on Diana’s bed and gestured for him to sit on hers but he didn’t move from his spot. 

She finally broke the silence. “Okay well. I’m not sure if I ever loved him. I thought I did but then when I came here for school and we tried to do long-distance I realized I didn’t care enough to put the effort into it. And that wasn’t fair to him or to me. So that’s why I broke up with him over Christmas break.”

He nodded and finally walked over to sit next to her on Diana’s bed. She tried to ignore the warmth that spread through her when his arm brushed hers. 

“I broke up with Christine.” He said. 

“You - you what? Why? You guys were together for over a year!” She felt surprised and concerned and confused and hopeful all at once. 

“I realized I can’t give her what she wants. She realized it too.” 

“What does that mean? What does she want?” 

He turned and stared into her eyes and her breath caught in her throat. “My heart.” He whispered. 

“Why - uh - why can’t you give that to her?” She asked quietly, both terrified and excited to hear the answer. 

“Because it already belongs to someone else. It has for a long time.” He stared into her eyes and understanding flooded through her. 

“I don’t - I don’t know what to say, Gilbert.” She swallowed audibly. 

“Say you feel the same way, Anne.” He stared at her lips. “It’s always been you for me. Say it’s always been me for you” 

“I - I -” She stuttered and took a deep breath. “I do, Gil. It is. I wanted to tell you a long time ago but - I just didn’t think you felt the same.” 

He let out a relieved breath and the next thing she knew his lips were on hers both urgent and gentle. She parted her lips slightly and with a soft moan he slid his tongue inside to tangle with hers. He turned his body to wrap his arms around her waist and pull her closer and her hands went up to the back of his neck, scraping lightly at his scalp. 

After several minutes she pulled back and pressed her forehead to his, both of them breathing heavily. “You’re kind of drunk. You can sleep it off here but that’s all okay? We need to really talk and I don’t want to do that until you’re sober.” 

He smiled and nodded and she got up, pulling him over to her bed. He slipped his shoes off and climbed into bed behind her, pulling her close and wrapping his arms around her waist before giving a huge contented sigh and passing out quickly. She listened to his soft breathing and willed the butterflies in her stomach to calm down. “Don’t you break my heart, Gilbert Blythe.” She whispered to him just before she fell asleep.   
____________________________________________________________________________

13 Years Ago

“So you’re just going to show up? He doesn’t know you’re coming?” Diana asked as she helped scoop cookie dough onto the baking sheet. 

“Yep. And nope. I’m going to wear my ugliest Christmas pjs, bring over these cookies and some poutine and a copy of Elf.” Anne grinned at her. “It’s our Christmas tradition.” 

“But this time it’s going to be different because you’re also bringing mistletoe.” Diana joked. 

Anne rolled her eyes. “Well I’m hoping after I tell him I’m in love with him I won’t need mistletoe.” 

Diana grinned at her. “It’s about damn time. Really. You and Gilbert have been skirting around this for way too long. I can’t believe it took him going off to college for you to realize you’re in love with him.” 

“I guess that whole ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’ line is true.” Anne said as she sprinkled green and red sugar crystals on the cookies. 

“I really want to say I told you so but I won’t. But wait until everyone else hears about this. Actually, I think Moody is going to win some money.” 

“What?” Anne looked at her sharply. “Money for what?”

“Oh well him and Charlie and the Pauls have had a bet for like 3 years that you guys would get together. I don’t know about the other guys but I’m pretty sure Moody had money on Gilbert’s freshman year.” 

“What the fuck?” Anne looked annoyed and Diana grinned. 

“Seriously, Anne. You can’t be surprised. Everyone in this town knows you two are meant for each other.” 

Anne bit her bottom lip. “Well, I mean. I’m just going over there to tell him how I feel. Who knows what he’ll say.” 

Now it was Diana’s turn to roll her eyes. “He’s going to tell you he feels the same way and you two are going to live happily ever after.” 

Anne scoffed but started grinning nonetheless. She was still smiling when she got out of the car at Bash and Mary’s house. She grabbed her stuff and ran to the door, pausing to smooth down her hair before she rang the doorbell. Since she knew Bash, Mary, and Delphine were in Charlottetown visiting friends she fully expected Gilbert to open the door so she was very surprised when a cute brunette with big green eyes opened it instead. 

“Hi.” The girl said, looking Anne up and down. “Can I help you?”

“Uh.” Anne peered past her into the house. “Is Gilbert here?” 

“Yeah.” The girl turned into the house. “Gilbert, you have a visitor!” 

He came jogging from the kitchen and his face lit up when he saw her. “Anne! Hey!” He pulled her into the house and gave her a hug. She breathed in his familiar scent for a split second before he pulled away. “Anne, this is my girlfriend Christine. Christine, this is my good friend from high school, Anne.” 

Anne’s stomach dropped and she tried to keep her face even as they exchanged pleasantries. Good friend? Girlfriend? When they invited her to stay she couldn’t really come up with an excuse since it was obvious she’d been planning on staying anyway. So instead she ate cold poutine, watched Will Ferrell run around in green tights, and tried very hard to ignore the couple cuddling on the couch a few feet away from her. 

When she finally made her escape she went straight to Diana’s house. Diana snuck a bottle of rum from her parent’s liquor cabinet and brought it up to her room. 

“He called me his ‘good friend’.” Anne slurred an hour later. Diana sighed, that was the 5th time Anne had said that. “Good friend? Seriously? We have been best friends for four years. But now he’s in college and has a girlfriend - that he didn’t even bother to tell me about by the way - so why does he need me? She obviously didn’t even know who I was which means he certainly hasn’t mentioned me. I mean I know we haven’t talked as much since he left but I didn’t want to interrupt his studying time.” She snorted into her cup of rum and coke. “Studying time. More like makeout time. Or sexy time.” She suddenly looked stricken and Diana patted her hand. “Do you think they’re having sex, Di?” 

Diana shook her head. “I don’t know, Anne.” She took the cup from Anne’s hand as the red-head threw herself backwards on the bed. 

Anne was quiet as she stared up at the ceiling. Tears suddenly filled her eyes and Diana laid down next to her, pulling the blanket over them. Anne turned into her friend's shoulder and started sobbing. “I’m such an idiot, Diana. Why did I ever think he’d feel that way about me? I’m plain and I say the wrong things and I have such a temper. Gilbert is - Gilbert is perfect. He’s smart and funny and handsome and so nice. Of course he’d go for a cute brunette over me. He’s way too good for me.” 

Diana gripped Anne’s hand with one hand and smoothed her hair back with the other. “Anne Shirley-Cuthbert.” She said fiercely. “I don’t ever want to hear you say that again. Gilbert Blythe would be lucky to have you. And he’s certainly not perfect.” She took a deep breath. “I know this is hard, Anne. But Gilbert still doesn’t know how you feel. I think you should still tell him. You never know, maybe he’ll choose you?”

Anne scoffed. “Yeah right. You didn’t see her.” She sniffed and pushed her face into the pillow, mumbling. 

“What? I can’t hear you.” 

Anne turned back. “I said I will never, ever tell him how I feel. This whole thing is so humiliating. And I don’t want to risk losing his friendship over it. Please, don’t ever bring it up again?”

Diana sighed but nodded. She didn’t agree with Anne’s decision. Anyone with eyes could see the way Gilbert looked at Anne. But she’d respect her friend’s choice and hope that someday both of them would come to their senses.


	3. Chapter 3

Present Day

Cole entered the restaurant and Anne waved him over to their table. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before sitting down. “Have you ordered mimosas? We need alcohol.” He turned to try to flag down the server. 

“I already ordered them. But why do you say that?” Anne asked and when he turned back around she saw he looked anxious. “What’s up, Cole?” 

He took a deep breath. “I don’t know how to say it so I’m just going to come right out with it. Gilbert is going to be at the school on Tuesday. I saw the email this morning, some seminar.” 

Anne rolled her eyes. “I know, Cole. I work there too. I saw the email.” 

“You did?! When? Why didn’t you tell me?” Cole grabbed the drink the waitress set down and took a huge gulp. “Are you going to go see him? Do you want me to come?”

“I think I will go see him, yes. And no, you don’t need to be there. You almost broke his nose last time you saw him so I doubt he’d want to see you anyway.” 

“Well the asshole deserved it.” Cole muttered into his drink and Anne didn’t argue. Suddenly he grinned at her. “What are you going to wear? Something sexy right? Make him realize what he lost?” 

She snorted. “I doubt he cares.” She gave him an embarrassed grin. “But I have been thinking about it. Does that make me a bad person? I mean, I’m engaged.” 

Cole scoffed. “It’s perfectly normal to want to make an ex-boyfriend salivate when he sees you. Wanna go shopping after we eat?” 

She laughed and nodded then changed the subject to their upcoming summer vacation. 

___________________________________________________________________________

9 Years Ago

Anne threw her phone onto the couch in disgust. She was so tired of waiting for him to text her back, it was all she could think about and that made her furious with herself. He was busy, of course he was busy. He was in medical school at Harvard for crying out loud, she knew his classes and studying were taking up all his time. But he did promise, the little voice in her head nagged, he promised to make the time for you. 

She threw herself backwards on the couch and stared at the ceiling. Just then Cole and Diana walked into the apartment, their laughter dying when they saw her. 

“Anne?” Diana came over and sat next to her. “You okay?” 

“Yes.” She grumbled. “It’s just. I texted Gilbert last night and he still hasn’t responded. It only takes like 5 seconds to reply to a text.” 

Diana and Cole exchanged a look. “You know he’s busy, Anne. I’m sure it doesn’t mean anything at all.” 

“I know! And God I hate being that girl. It’s just. I mean, remember when I broke up with Roy? Because the effort of long distance wasn’t worth it? What if that’s what Gilbert is thinking? And God knows how many gorgeous and brilliant women are walking around Harvard.” She rolled her eyes. 

“Anne honey.” Cole sat on the coffee table and leaned toward her. “Gilbert loves you, we all know that. Like Diana said, he’s just busy.” 

She sighed and looked unconvinced. Suddenly Cole clapped his hands. “I have an idea!” The girls looked at him. “Road trip! Let’s go visit Gilbert!” 

Diana laughed. “Cole, it’s like a 9 hour trip to Cambridge.” 

“So? We can drive through the night, be there by breakfast. We can drive in shifts.” 

Diana smiled and looked at Anne. “It does sound fun, Anne.”

Anne frowned. “Don’t you have a Friday class, Di?” 

“Yes but I can skip it.” 

“Well I have a paper due on Monday.” Anne said as if that settled it. 

Cole rolled his eyes. “You can write it in the car. Hell, you can write it in your sleep we all know that.” 

“But just show up unannounced? I mean, I know he has a big exam next week.” Anne seemed to slowly be warming up to the idea though. 

“He’ll be so ecstatic to see you it won’t matter.” Cole looked so sure Anne smiled suddenly. 

“It could be fun.” She finally said. 

Diana and Cole jumped up. “Yes! Okay, let’s pack!” They each ran to their respective rooms and Anne picked up her phone, considered texting Gilbert to let him know but decided against it and got up to pack too. 

The next morning they stopped at a diner just outside of Cambridge for some breakfast and for Anne to freshen up. Anne was feeling a little better about the whole thing because Gilbert had finally texted her back late the night before telling her he’d been in a study session all afternoon and night and that he loved her and missed her. So when Cole and Diana dropped her off at Gilbert’s apartment building before taking off to explore the campus on their own she was feeling pretty good about the surprise. She walked through the halls of the apartment before finding the right number and taking a deep breath she knocked. She heard a peal of female laughter and a minute later a beautiful woman opened the door wearing a robe and a towel turban on her head. 

“Hello.” The woman raised her eyebrows. Before Anne could say anything though she heard a familiar voice coming from the back of the apartment. 

“Who is it, Sarah?” Gilbert asked as he came into view. Anne’s chest constricted as she took in the sight of him in nothing but a towel slung around his waist and his hair damp. She backed away as their eyes met. 

“Anne!” He started toward her but she shook her head furiously and turned to run down the hall. She heard him call her name again and swear but didn’t stop. 

“Fuck!” Gilbert ran into the apartment to his room, grabbing at clothes and desperately looking for his sneakers.

Sarah came to his bedroom door. “So that was Anne?” 

He nodded and pushed past her, running out of the apartment and looking around frantically. He saw a flash of red a couple of blocks away and went running in that direction. He turned the corner and stopped, his heart breaking at the sight of her sitting on the bench, her face in her hands and her body shaking with sobs. 

“Anne.” He said walking cautiously toward her. “Anne, listen to me. That wasn’t what it looked like, I swear. That was my roommate Tim’s sister, Sarah. She’s visiting him for the weekend.” 

Anne shook her head and he sat down next to her but didn’t dare to touch her yet. “Anne, my love.” The desperation in his voice registered with her and she finally looked up at him. 

“Why did it look like you two just got out of the shower?” She managed to get out. 

“Because we did.” She squeaked and he hurried on. “But not together, Anne! She took one in Tim’s bathroom and I took one in mine. I swear to you. Please believe me?” 

She took a few deep, steadying breaths and finally nodded. “Okay. Okay.” 

He let out a relieved breath and wrapped his arms around her tightly, kissing her hair. “I’m so glad you’re here.” He murmured. “I missed you so much.” 

She leaned into him and they sat there for a few minutes while she calmed down. Then they walked back to his apartment hand in hand. When they entered Sarah was sitting on the couch, painting her toenails. 

“Anne, this is Sarah, Tim’s sister.” Gilbert said, tightening his hand around Anne’s. 

“Nice to meet you, Sarah. Uh, sorry for before.” Anne managed a small smile. 

Sarah looked her up and down and gave her a smile that made Anne nervous. “No worries. If my boyfriend was as hot as Gilbert I’d be paranoid too.” 

Anne’s smile faded and Gilbert rolled his eyes and tugged her toward the hallway. Anne looked over her shoulder at Sarah as they left the room and was extremely unsettled by the look on the woman’s face. 

Anne put it out of her mind though when they reached Gilbert’s room and he closed the door quickly and pushed her up against it kissing her deeply for a long moment, his hands running up and down her back while his lips moved to her jaw then her neck. “I missed you so much.” He murmured against her skin. 

“I missed you too.” She whispered, her hands locked together behind his neck and one leg hitched up on his hip. 

He pulled back and grinned at her, making her heart melt. “I have about thirty minutes before I have to leave for my Friday lab. Wanna cuddle?” 

She laughed and nodded and he pulled her to the bed, settling her back against his chest and wrapping his arm around her torso. They talked and laughed quietly for a while until it was time to go then she walked with him through campus. 

“I still can’t believe you’re here.” Gilbert said as they stopped outside of the building that housed the medical labs. “Cole is brilliant, remind me to get him a really nice gift.” 

She laughed. “Well if you have any friends you think he’d be interested in I’m sure that’s all the gift he’d need.” 

He looked thoughtful. “There is a guy in my study group that he might like.” 

She rolled her eyes. “Just because he’s gay doesn’t automatically mean Cole will like him. Do you think they’d actually get along?” 

“Well, considering Cole is more into random hook-ups anyway I think they’ll be fine.” Gilbert laughed and leaned down to give her a thorough kiss that left her breathless. “You guys want to meet me here in three hours? Then I’ll give you the grand tour.” She nodded and he gave her nose a quick kiss before turning into the building. 

She texted Diana and Cole and headed to the cafe they told her they were at. She sat down heavily in the chair and filled them in on the morning’s events. 

Cole gave a low whistle. “This Sarah girl sounds like trouble.” 

“She sounds like a real bitch.” Diana corrected and Anne laughed. 

“I don’t know, maybe it’s nothing. Apparently they’re having a bunch of people over tonight anyway. I guess Tim's birthday is next week so they’re celebrating this weekend. So you guys will get to see for yourself.” 

Diana clapped her hands together. “Ooooh a Harvard party! Think their drinking games involve reciting the periodic table or the Gettysburg Address?” Anne and Cole laughed and they spent the next few hours wandering around downtown Cambridge before meeting up with Gilbert after his lab. 

Later that night the party was in full swing, music blasting, the alcohol flowing freely while people danced and laughed. Anne was in the kitchen chatting with a girl named Lily from Tim’s law study group when Diana and Cole ran up to her. 

“Oh my God, Anne!” Cole grabbed her hand. “That Sarah girl IS a bitch!” 

Lily laughed. “Oh my God, you guys have no idea. I don’t know how it’s possible for Tim to have a sister like that, he’s like the nicest guy in the world.” 

“What did she do?” Anne asked Cole and Diana. 

“We were just chatting with her and she just made all these super snide remarks. She’s just really rude.” Diana replied. 

“She’s the kind of girl who is rude to other women but super syrupy sweet to guys.” Lily said, rolling her eyes. “As if women don’t have enough to deal with already.” 

Before Anne could reply she felt a pair of warm arms wrap around her waist and lips on her neck. The other three exchanged knowing smiles and walked out of the kitchen. “Hey beautiful, you wanna dance?” He murmured. 

“Hmm. I don’t know, my boyfriend is around here somewhere.” She sank back against him. 

“Boyfriend? What’s he like?”

“Tall, dark curly hair, impossibly handsome and ridiculously smart.” She felt him smile against her neck. 

“Sounds a lot like me.” 

“What can I say? I have a type.” She said and he snickered. 

“I bet I could take him though.” He pulled her hair back and worked his lips up her neck to her ear, biting the lobe gently and causing her whole body to shiver. She turned in his arms to look up at him. 

“How about you just take me instead?” She said, one eyebrow arched. 

He grinned and grabbed her hand before pulling her through the throng of people to his bedroom. The second he had the door closed and locked he had her up against it, kissing her urgently his hands running all over her body. He lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist, rolling her hips against him as he feasted on her neck. 

He turned suddenly and walked them to the bed, throwing her down gently before tugging his t-shirt over his head as she sat up to work on his pants and boxers. He unbuttoned her dress and she ran her hands over him, sliding her hand down and wrapping it around him, pumping and squeezing slightly. 

“Anne, sweetheart.” He groaned. “I haven’t seen you in three months, I’m not going to last long if you keep that up.” 

She smiled and let go. 

He got the rest of her clothes off her quickly and went back to kissing her, one hand moving down to grasp her breast and tease her nipple before sliding further down. He moaned into her mouth at the wetness between her legs. “I missed you too, Gil.” She laughed breathlessly. 

He dragged his mouth down her body, kissing and sucking as he went. When he tongue pressed against her clit she bucked off the bed but he clamped an arm around one thigh to keep her still before sliding his tongue along her folds. She could feel the warmth growing at her center and she slid her hands into his hair to press his head closer against her. He added a finger then two and she moaned loudly as he worked them inside of her, his tongue sucking at her clit. The pressure built until suddenly she was bucking against him and coming hard, screaming his name through the pleasure. 

He pulled away and wiped his mouth before coming back up to kiss her deeply. “It’s a good thing the music is so loud out there.” He whispered and she laughed. “Not that I mind if other people hear you scream my name like that.” 

She rolled her eyes and moved quickly so he was underneath her. She grabbed his dick and slid it along her wet folds, his eyes closed tightly and his fingers dug into her hips. “Gilbert.” She panted. “Do you have any condoms?” 

He looked surprised and she continued hastily. “I haven’t been as diligent with my birth control since you’ve been gone. I just want to make sure.” 

“I don’t, Anne.” He looked mildly embarrassed. “We haven’t used them in so long.” 

She groaned and stopped her movements. “I should have picked some up, I’m sorry.” 

He sat up and set her gently on the bed. “Don’t move.” He grabbed his boxers and a t-shirt. “I’m sure Tim has some, I’ll be back.” 

She nodded and got under the covers just in case any drunk people tried stumbling into his room. He came back in record time though and locked the door behind him, holding up a handful of square foil packets. 

She laughed. “How many do you think we’re going to need, cowboy?” 

He grinned. “Better safe than sorry, right? Not my preferred brand but beggars can’t be choosers.” He removed his clothing and got under the covers with her, pulling her tight against him. He kissed her deeply and they each slid their hands over the other, exploring quietly. “I love you so much, Anne.” He whispered. 

She smiled. “I love you too.” She pushed him on his back and straddled him again, tearing open a condom and sliding it on him. She grabbed him with one hand and moved his tip amongst her folds for a minute. She looked up to watch his face as she slid over him and the look of sheer pleasure on it made her heart skip a beat. She let herself adjust to him for a minute then began rolling her hips, slowly at first, leaning back with her hands steadying herself on his thighs behind her.

He watched her move, watched her breasts bounce as she began to move faster. He sat up quickly, one arm wrapped around her back the other bracing himself on the bed. He thrust up into her, matching her rhythm. When she started to moan loudly he went faster, her head tilted back and her muscles clenched around him tightly as she came, moaning his name loudly. He flipped her over and lifted one of her legs over his shoulder, pounding into her hard and fast, chasing his own release until his hips stuttered into her and he grunted as he came hard. 

They lay tangled up together for a long time, breathing heavily until he came to his senses and slid off of her, getting ride of the condom quickly before gathering her back into his arms. He trailed soft kisses down her neck, over her shoulders, tracing a finger over the freckles there. They listened to the sounds of the party going on outside his door and when she quietly debated whether they should go back out he pulled her tighter and shook his head against her back. 

“No. I want to stay right here, hold you in my arms forever and never let go.” He whispered. Her heart nearly burst and she turned over, throwing her leg over his hip and pulling him close for a kiss. 

___________________________________________________________________________

Present Day

Anne grabbed the bags from her trunk and walked into her house. James’ car was in the driveway so she knew he was there and she braced herself for the coming argument. She walked into the living room and he was sprawled out on the sofa, watching a game on tv. He looked over at her when she entered the room. 

“What’s all that?” He pointed at the bags. 

She shrugged. “I had brunch with Cole and then he dragged me shopping. You know how he gets when he’s tipsy.” She set them down and they looked at each other for a long moment, not speaking. 

He relented first. “I’m sorry I left like that.” He sighed. “I shouldn’t have left angry.” 

She softened and sat down next to him, taking his hand in hers. “It’s okay. I know you’re frustrated. I get it, James, I really do.” She took a deep breath. “I just need a little more time okay?” 

He didn’t say anything for a minute but finally nodded and she leaned over to kiss him, he pulled her in to deepen the kiss and after a minute she moved to straddle him. They undressed quickly, desperate for each other’s forgiveness. 

Afterward he laid behind her on the couch, lazily tracing circles on her hip. “Do you have a busy week?” He asked. 

“Yes. Last week of lectures before exams and final papers are due tonight so I’ll need to start grading those tomorrow.” She paused for a moment. “And Tuesday afternoon I’m going to attend a seminar an old friend is guest speaking at.” 

“Yeah? What’s it about?” 

“Infectious diseases.” She replied and felt the chuckle more than she heard it. 

“Not exactly your field of study. Who is the old friend?” 

She hesitated. “Uh, Gilbert, Gilbert Blythe.” 

She felt him tense and his fingers stopped moving on her skin. “Isn’t that your college boyfriend who cheated on you?” She clenched her jaw and nodded. “Why would you want to go see him?” 

She shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant. “It’s been a long time. And remember we were best friends in high school before we dated so I just thought I could extend an olive branch. Plus, remember he’s Bash’s brother.” 

She felt him nod and relax and she let out a breath she hadn’t been aware she was holding, having been ready for another argument. He dozed off soon after and she slipped off the couch, grabbing a robe from her room before going out on the back patio with a glass of wine. 

__________________________________________________________________________

8 Years Ago

“Of course I’m not happy about it, Gilbert!” Anne yelled into the phone. “Why would I be happy about it? You promised me summers and Christmas breaks!”

“I know, Anne! But I can’t pass up this opportunity, you know that. This kind of internship doesn’t come around every day, and it’s exactly the field I want to study and research. It’s really frustrating that you don’t understand that.” 

“I do understand, Gil.” She took a deep breath. “I do. I want you to take this opportunity but I can’t help that it makes me sad. Especially when you didn’t even bother telling you were applying for it. At least if I had known it was a possibility I could have mentally prepared myself to not see you all summer.” 

“I didn’t tell you because I thought it was a huge long shot that I’d even get it.” She could hear him moving around his room. 

“What are you doing?” She asked softly. 

“I’m going out with Tim and some friends tonight, to celebrate the end of finals.” He replied. “Hang on, I’m going to put you on speaker so I can get dressed.” She heard a click. “Anyway, please don’t be mad at me.” 

Before she could reply she heard a female voice. “Gilbert are you ready? We’ve already started drinking. Here take a shot.” 

“No thanks, Sarah. I’ll be out in a minute.” Anne heard the door shut. 

“Gilbert. Take me off speaker.” She said through clenched teeth. She heard him sigh and pick up the phone. 

“You’re going out with Sarah?” She could feel the tears threatening. Sarah had been a point of contention with them ever since Anne had surprised Gilbert last November. Anytime Sarah visited Tim (and it seemed like way more often than normal for a sister to visit her brother in Anne’s opinion) Gilbert was always tagged on Instagram in all these photos from the weekend and Sarah always seemed to be close by. They’d gotten into arguments over it before with Gilbert telling her Sarah was just a friend but Anne’s instinct told her that Sarah thought otherwise. 

“No, I’m going out with Tim and some friends and Sarah and her friend Ashley just happen to be going too.” He said, sounding tired and exasperated. 

Her stomach lurched. She didn’t want to be this girl and she knew Gilbert was getting tired of it. “Maybe.” She swallowed hard. “Maybe we should just take a break this summer.” She said softly. 

“What?” He sounded more alert. “No, Anne. What? No. I don’t want that.” 

“It’s just hard, Gilbert. It’s so much harder than I thought it would be.” She took a deep breath. “Look, go out with your friends, celebrate. Let’s just talk tomorrow okay? Or better yet, when you’re here for my graduation next week.” 

He was quiet for so long she wasn’t sure if he was still there. “Gil?” She asked tentatively. 

“Yeah. Okay. Goodnight.” He ended the call abruptly, leaving her gasping at the pain in her chest. 

It took her a long time to fall asleep so she was grumpy when Diana came into her room quietly to wake her up early the next morning. “Anne.” Diana lightly shook her shoulder. “Anne, wake up.” 

She groaned. “What, Di? I’m so tired. I’m not going to the gym with you.” 

“That’s not...that’s not why you need to wake up.” Diana said and something in her voice made Anne’s blood run cold. She sat up and looked at her best friend, taking in her sympathetic eyes and clenched jaw. 

“What’s going on, Di?” Anne sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. 

Diana took a deep breath, she seemed to be fighting a battle within herself. Finally she handed her phone to Anne. Anne looked down at it and the breath left her body. It was a picture of Gilbert laying in his bed, blanket low on his hips and his chest bare. He appeared to be asleep but he had lipstick smudges on his face and there was an open condom wrapper (his preferred brand Anne couldn’t help but notice) on the table in the background. The caption read “Ladies, get you a boyfriend who looks this hot in bed <3 <3”

Anne looked up at Diana, the horror clear on her face then looked back down to confirm what she feared, it was a post from Sarah, she had tagged Gilbert in it an hour before. She dropped the phone and got out of bed swiftly. 

“Anne.” Diana said, voice full of concern but Anne didn’t acknowledge her. She stalked over to her dresser and grabbed her phone where it was plugged in. She hit the most recent number and a minute later heard his voice come through the speaker, groggily saying her name. 

“I can’t believe you would do this to me, Gilbert!” She screamed into the phone. 

“What? Anne?” He was fully awake now. 

She cut him off. “I never want to speak to you or see you ever again! Ever. Again. Do you understand me? We are done, we are through.” Her voice broke and she started to sob. “Go find your new girlfriend.” Before he could say anything else she ended the call. A split second later his number came up on the screen but she rejected it. He called again and this time Diana took the phone from her and answered it. 

“Gilbert.” She said with ice in her voice. “Stop calling.” Diana was quiet for a minute, listening. “Why don’t you go check your Instagram feed.” She said and hung up before tapping the phone a couple of times to block his number. She turned to see Anne in the fetal position on her bed, sobbing. Diana ran over and laid down next to her, pulling her close and making soothing sounds as Anne’s heart shattered.


	4. Chapter 4

Present Day

Gilbert threw his suitcase into the back of the Uber before climbing in. “Hey man, I need to get to the airport as soon as you can.” The driver nodded and they took off. Gilbert watched the Atlanta skyline whiz by, lost in thought. He wondered if she knew he was coming, if she’d even want to know. His thoughts were interrupted by the chirp of his cell phone and he glanced down. 

[Winnie] Do you still have my Boston College sweatshirt? 

He sighed. She was always doing this, texting him about random items that he knew she knew he didn’t have. They’d been divorced for 6 months, separated 6 before that. They hadn’t lived together in so long and he knew he didn’t have any of her stuff anymore. 

[Gilbert] I doubt it, Winnie. I’ll look when I get back though if you want  
[Winnie] Back from where?  
[Gilbert] Toronto  
[Winnie] Why are you going up there?

He rolled his eyes again. 

[Gilbert] I’m giving a speech at U of T  
[Winnie] U of T...isn’t that where she works?

He thought about not responding but knew she wouldn’t let up if he didn’t. 

[Gilbert] Yes  
[Winnie] are you going to see her?  
[Gilbert] I don’t know  
[Winnie] I have a right to know  
[Gilbert] No actually you don’t, we’re divorced remember  
[Winnie] Not my choice

He threw his phone into his bag, shaking his head. He wasn’t about to get into it again with her. He had felt a little guilty at first, it wasn’t her fault he was so in love with someone else their marriage hadn’t worked. She hadn’t taken any of it well and the last few months she had been picking fights like this any chance she got. He never should have married her in the first place, but he’d been trying so hard to conform to the picture of a perfect life. Successful career, beautiful wife, not a care in the world. He snorted to himself, what a fucking lie that had been. He should have known there would never be anyone else for him but Anne.

___________________________________________________________________________

12 Years Ago

Gilbert was so happy to be home for the summer. Ready to have a break from studying, ready to spend time with Bash and Mary and Delly, ready to spend the entire summer with Anne. They hadn’t talked much, not since Christmas. She’d been weird after she’d surprised him that night, he thought maybe he’d seen something - a flash of hurt - when he’d introduced Christine to her but then it was gone and he decided it was in his head.

But it was summer and Christine was home in Ottawa and he thought maybe he and Anne could spend the summer how they used to. Watching movies, reading books for fun instead of for school, eating poutine, going swimming. Inseparable. They could go back to how things were before he left for U of T. And then when she joined him there in the fall they could continue the way they’d always been. 

He slid on a clean t-shirt, grabbed his phone, and walked downstairs where Bash and Mary were cleaning up after dinner, Delly happily watching a video in the living room. Gilbert grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and Bash turned to look at him. 

“You going out, Blythe?” He asked. 

Gilbert nodded. “Yeah. Diana’s having a graduation party.” 

Bash nodded and Mary smiled at him. “Have fun, Gilbert. Be careful.” He nodded but when he didn’t move to leave she looked at him quizzically. “You okay?” 

He hesitated. “Yeah, I just...I’m kind of nervous to see Anne.” 

Bash and Mary exchanged a look and he rolled his eyes at them. “Have you guys seen her lately? How is she?”

“Of course we’ve seen her, Gilbert. She baby-sits Delly once a week.” Bash said smacking him lightly on the back of the head. “Maybe if you would talk to her you would know that.” 

“Ow. It’s not my fault! I’ve tried, she’s barely spoken to me since Christmas. I don’t know why. I just assumed she was busy.”

Bash smacked him again. “Think about Christmas again and then maybe you’ll have your answer.” 

Gilbert looked at Mary confused and she just shook her head at him. “Go to the party, Gilbert. Talk to Anne.” She kissed him on the cheek and left the kitchen. Gilbert gave Bash a glare then walked out of the house, heading toward Diana’s place a few streets over. 

He could hear the music long before he made it to the house and wondered idly if the neighbors would call in a noise complaint. He wandered through the gate to the backyard and saw it was crowded with people, some dancing, some jumping in the pool. 

“Gilbert!” He heard a familiar voice and saw Moody heading his way. 

“Hey man!” They gave each other a brief hug, clapping each other’s backs. 

“Hey Moody, how’s it going?” 

“God so great, I’m so glad I’ve finally fucking graduated. How’s U of T been?” Moody asked as they walked into the house to get Gilbert a drink. 

“It’s been good. I -” Gilbert stopped in his tracks at the sight of Anne wrapped up in some guy’s arms, the guy’s tongue down her throat. If it wasn’t for the unmistakable red hair he’d assume she was someone else. The Anne he knew would never have worn a dress that short. “Who the fuck is that?” Gilbert gestured to the guy and Moody laughed. 

“That’s Roy, Anne’s boyfriend. You haven’t met him?” Moody seemed surprised which Gilbert guessed was normal since he and Anne used to tell each other everything. 

Gilbert shook his head. “How long has that been going on?” 

“I don’t know. January maybe? He moved here at the beginning of the school year. Started going after Anne pretty hard. Guess she finally gave in.” Moody saw someone across the room and gave Gilbert a quick clap on the back before walking away. 

Anne broke away from the guy and turned, when her eyes met Gilbert's, the smile faded from her face and his stomach clenched. She used to always smile when she saw him, even if they’d been fighting. She’d give him this brilliant smile and then remember she was supposed to be mad at him. He took a deep breath and walked over to her, the guy still had his arms around her waist and Gilbert clenched his jaw in annoyance. 

“Hey Anne.” He said casually. 

“Hey Gil.” They stared at each other for a long moment before Roy cleared his throat, startling Anne. “Uh, Roy, this is Gilbert Blythe, he graduated last year. Gilbert, this is my boyfriend Roy.” 

“Nice to meet you, man.” Roy said. “Your reputation precedes you at Avonlea High. Quite the Golden Boy, huh?” 

Gilbert narrowed his eyes at him. “I wouldn’t say that.” He turned to Anne. “Can I talk to you?” 

Anne nodded and Roy dropped his hands from her waist. She gave him a quick kiss and turned to go outside, Gilbert following her, quietly seething. They got around to the side of the house before he exploded. 

“What the fuck, Anne? Who is that guy? Why didn’t you tell me about him?” 

“Are you serious, Gilbert?” Even in the shadow of the house he could see her eyes flashing. “Why didn’t you tell me about Christine?” 

“I - I don’t know. It’s different.” He muttered. 

“How is it different? Is she not your girlfriend? Are you not fucking her?” She spat. 

He clenched his jaw and didn’t answer and she gave a humorless laugh. “That’s what I thought. You’re a fucking hypocrite, Gilbert. I thought we were best friends, I thought we told each other everything. But you come home for Christmas with some girl that you didn’t bother to tell me about and then you have the balls to get mad at me for not telling you about my boyfriend?” She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. 

He was quiet for a minute. “Are you - are you sleeping with him, Anne?” He finally asked. 

She took a deep breath. “Not that it’s any of your business but yes.” He felt like someone was stabbing him in the chest. He didn’t say anything, just stared at her and after a long moment of staring back she shook her head and walked back around the house to the party. 

_________________________________________________________________________

Present Day

Gilbert settled into his hotel room, picking up the room service menu and scanning it quickly before calling in an order for a cheeseburger. He pulled his laptop out of his bag to get some work done and put the final touches on his presentation for the next day, pausing only long enough to answer the door for room service. He was just about to pack it all up when his cell phone chirped. 

[Bash] You get in okay?  
[Gilbert] Yeah, just finished some dinner  
[Bash] Ready for your presentation?  
[Gilbert] Yep, piece of cake  
[Bash] so humble, Blythe. What time is your meeting?  
[Gilbert] 9am, presentations at 3  
[Bash] What are you up to in between that time?

Gilbert sighed. 

[Gilbert] I don’t know, might just wander around campus  
[Bash] You going to wander over to the English department?  
[Gilbert] For fuck’s sake, Bash, I don’t know  
[Bash] Don’t swear at me, boy. You need to tell her the truth  
[Gilbert] Why does it matter? She’s engaged  
[Bash] Because she deserves to know and you’ll regret it if you don’t  
[Gilbert] I doubt she’d even see me. Probably slam the door in my face.  
[Bash] Give her some credit, Blythe. She’s a grown woman now. And when she asks Mary or I about you she doesn't sound angry.  
[Gilbert] She asks you guys about me?  
[Bash] Every now and then, just kind of how you’re doing  
[Gilbert] Does she know Winnie and I divorced?  
[Bash] Yep  
[Gilbert] Alright. Hey I’m going to bed, give Delly a kiss for me. I’ll see you guys Friday.  
[Bash] Will do, night, brother

____________________________________________________________________________

8 Years Ago

“Gilbert.” Mary hissed at him. “What are you doing here?” 

He swallowed the lump in his throat at the anger in his sister-in-law’s voice. “I - I just want to talk to her, Mary. She blocked me on everything and our friends did too. None of them will pick up when I call.” He could feel his eyes fill up. “I just need to talk to her.” 

Mary softened and put her arm around him. “Gilbert. This is her graduation day. This needs to be a happy day for her. Don’t you want that for her?” He nodded and she continued. “I know you regret what you did but she’s not ready to forgive you. And going in there, especially with Matthew, Marilla, and Jerry, is not a good idea.” She gestured to the entrance of the auditorium. She had just happened to see him lurking outside when she went out to the car to get a snack for Delly.

“I don’t - I don’t even remember it, Mary!” He buried his face in his hands. “I was so drunk. I blacked out, I don’t even remember going home. She and I had gotten into a fight and I just wanted to get drunk and forget about it and I can’t believe I would do something like that. Especially to her.” 

She pulled him into a hug. “I understand, Gilbert. But it happened and you can’t change it and now she just needs to heal, you need to let her.” He sobbed into her shoulder for several minutes before pulling back. 

She dug into her purse and handed him a hotel key. “Go back to the hotel and wait for us. We’re having dinner with them but Bash and I will make our excuses and leave early.” She squeezed his shoulder before turning and walking back into the auditorium.

He slumped against the wall outside of the auditorium, thinking back to that wretched morning the week before when his life had turned upside down. He’d woken up to his phone ringing and seeing the time and Anne’s name flash on his phone he was immediately concerned. He had answered it, not even noticing the naked woman next to him. Anne had screamed at him and hung up before he could even figure out what was happening and he jumped out of bed, calling her back immediately then again after she sent him to voicemail. When Diana answered and told him to check his instagram that was when he’d heard Sarah mumble his name and he’d whirled around to see her, her breasts on display above the sheet. 

He’d frantically asked her what happened and she had seemed offended that he didn’t remember the ‘amazing sex we had last night, twice’. He’d shaken his head and ran into the bathroom, locking it behind him and throwing up. When he was done he’d gone back into his room and told her to leave and after a lot of huffing and puffing on her part she finally had. He had tried calling Anne and then Diana and even Cole but they all seemed to have blocked his number. He’d been living in an almost constant state of panic since and even though he knew he probably shouldn’t he could resist driving back to Toronto for her graduation. 

He listened to the ceremony and his heart clenched with a mix of pain and pride when he heard her name called to accept her diploma. Soon after he got up, brushed the grass from his jeans and headed to the hotel. 

A few hours later Bash and Mary came back with Delly asleep in Bash’s arms. Gilbert was sitting on the bed with the tv on, blindly flipping through channels. Mary started getting Delly ready for bed and Gilbert noticed that Bash wouldn’t look at him. He sighed and whispered that he was going to take a walk and left quickly. 

He knew he shouldn’t but he found himself walking to Anne and Diana’s apartment. As he got closer he sighed when he heard music playing and knew they were having a party, not that he was surprised since it was their graduation night but he’d been hoping to be able to see her alone. He walked in, scanning the room. When he didn’t see her he started to move through the crowd of people. He caught movement out of the corner of his eye but didn’t react quickly enough and was suddenly being thrown onto the floor. 

He barely had a chance to register Cole’s face above him before he felt a fist connect with his jaw. He put his hands up defensively, catching another fist before someone pulled Cole off of him. 

“You son of a bitch! Get the fuck out of here! She’s too fucking good for you and you don’t deserve her!” Cole yelled at him as two guys pulled him back. 

Gilbert shook his head and sat up, his hand rubbing his jaw. He was just about to say something to Cole when he saw her, standing a few feet away. The coldness in her eyes made him want to shrivel up and die on the spot. 

“Anne.” He said, getting up quickly. “Please can I talk to you?” The crowd had started to move away now that the fight was over and he was glad not to have an audience. 

She didn’t say anything, she just turned and walked outside. He followed her closely out onto the moonlit balcony. She turned quickly, arms crossed, and he almost collided with her. She just stared up at him, that same coldness on her face and he swallowed hard. He’d rather have fury than this iciness. He didn’t say anything for a long minute, just stared into her blue eyes. 

“Well?” She said quietly. “You got me out here. What do you want?” 

“I - I’m sorry, Anne. I swear to you, I don’t even remember what happened. I was so drunk. I can’t believe I would do that to you.” He was desperate for her to believe him. 

“But you did sleep with her.” It was more a statement than a question.

“I mean, she said we did. I just have no memory of it.” 

“I don’t know why you think that’s an excuse.” She said coldly.

“It’s not! I’m not - I’m not trying to excuse it. I just - I guess I’m trying to explain.” He reached for her but she jerked away and he dropped his hand. “Please can you forgive me?” 

He could see her visibly struggling to maintain her composure, her jaw was clenched and her eyes were filling up with tears. “No. I love you, Gilbert. Loved you. But I can’t get past this. Please, if you ever loved me then just leave me alone.” And with that she swept past him. 

He collapsed onto the concrete, back against the wall, head buried in his hands. He couldn’t breathe, he felt like the world was crumbling under him and he hoped a black hole would swallow him up, he welcomed it. He could feel his heart breaking and he sobbed into his hands. He’s not sure how long he sat there, barely registering the party happening around him. Finally he got up and after giving one last look around the familiar apartment, he left. 

___________________________________________________________________________

Present Day

Gilbert simultaneously was grateful for and hated the bright lights in the auditorium. He wished he could see out into the audience, wished he could scan the faces for the one that still haunts his dreams. But at the same time he knew that if he saw her he wouldn’t be able to finish up this speech with any semblance of professionalism. He managed to make it through without losing his concentration and the lights lowered a bit so he could take questions from the audience. He would scan the crowd quickly before choosing someone but never did see her familiar face. 

When the Q&A was over and the audience started packing up their things he sighed. He was hoping she’d be the one to make the first move but who knew if she even knew he was here. He packed up his things and chatted with a few future colleagues before making his way to the back of the auditorium toward the exit. He walked out in the hallway and stopped short. She was standing against the opposite wall and Jesus did she look beautiful. Her hair had darkened a bit but she’d left it long and loose, curling at the ends. She was wearing an emerald green wrap dress that hugged her curves and made his stomach flip. His gaze returned to her face and he was relieved to see the smile on her lips. 

He steadied his breath and walked towards her, he knew the smile on his face was stupid wide but he didn’t care. He stopped just short of her and they stared at each other for a long moment. 

“Hi.” She said finally, breaking the silence. 

“Hi.” He replied, itching to wrap her in his arms but he refrained not wanting to destroy whatever this might be. “How are you?” 

She laughed and it was music to his soul. “I’m good. How are you?” 

He nodded and grinned. “I’m really good. Now.” Her smile faltered a little and he mentally kicked himself but then it returned to normal and he breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s really good to see you.” 

“It’s good to see you too, Gilbert. Your presentation was really good.” 

He chuckled. “Not exactly your area of interest.” 

She smiled. “No, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a good presentation.” 

He smiled back and for a moment was lost in the blue ocean of her eyes before she broke eye contact and looked down at her phone. “Do you want to get a drink?” She looked back up at him, eyes wide and slightly uncertain. 

He doesn’t hesitate. “Yes. Definitely.”

She smiled again and nodded. “I have to grab a few things from my office. Do you want to walk with me?”

Always and forever. “Yeah, sure.”

They left the auditorium and he talked idly as they walked through campus. He knew he sounded nervous but if she noticed she didn't comment. It was a bit of a slow trek as Anne kept getting stopped by students on the way and he couldn’t help but be proud of her. Listening to them call her Dr. Cuthbert and her answering their questions patiently. When they got to her office he smiled as he looked around. There were books everywhere, on every surface and plants hanging in every corner with colorful paintings on the walls. To anyone else her desk would just look chaotic but he knew she had a system. 

She grabbed her purse and shoved her laptop into a colorful satchel. “Shall we?” She looked at him expectantly and all he could do was nod and follow her out of the building. 

They settled into a booth at a restaurant a few blocks from campus, staying on safe topics like their jobs and family. After the second round of drinks there was a lull in the conversation and Gilbert decided to take his chance. 

“Anne. That night -“ He started and stopped when she shook her head. 

“No Gilbert. I don’t want to talk about it.” The pain in her eyes made his breath catch. 

“But you don’t under - “

“I really don’t want to - “

“I didn’t cheat on you!” He cut her off. 

“I...don’t....what?” She shook her head at him. 

“That night. Remember how I told you I had no memory of it?” She gave a short nod. “It turns out I didn’t have a memory of it because it didn’t actually happen.” She looked up at him sharply. “I didn’t cheat on you, Anne.”


	5. Chapter 5

1 Year Ago

Gilbert leaned back in his desk chair, stretching his arms behind him and rubbing his eyes. He was working late and knew he should probably go home but really didn’t feel like facing Winnie yet. The fight they’d had that morning had been one of the worst of their three year marriage and he was hoping she’d be asleep by the time he got home if he just stuck around the office long enough. His phone started ringing and he considered ignoring her call but when he picked it up he was surprised to see the name on the caller ID. 

He accepted the call. “Tim?” 

“Gilbert! Hey man!” Tim’s jovial voice came through and Gilbert smiled in spite of himself. 

“Hey man, it’s been a long time. What’s going on?” 

“It has, I think since your wedding yeah? How is Winnie?” 

Gilbert shifted uncomfortably. “Uh, yeah. She’s good. How are things with you?” 

“Fantastic! I just made junior partner at my firm and do you remember Lily from law school?” 

“Yeah, sure.” Gilbert had always liked Lily, she was smart and funny and super laid back despite being a law student at Harvard Law. 

“Well, we just got engaged, the wedding will be next spring. We’d love to see you there.” 

“That’s great, man! I didn’t even know you two had gotten together although I’m not surprised.” Gilbert was genuinely happy for his old friend. 

“Thanks!” Tim hesitated and Gilbert glanced at the phone to make sure they were still connected. 

“So is that why you called?” Gilbert prodded. 

“Uh no. Not really.” He heard him take a deep breath. “You remember my sister, Sarah, right?” 

The woman who ruined my life? Yeah I remember her, Gilbert thought bitterly. “Yeah.” He said instead. 

“Well, she had a baby last month, a little boy.” He paused but Gilbert didn’t say anything. “So uh, Lily and I went to visit them last week and well, she told me something that I- I really thought you should know.” 

Gilbert sat up straight. “What’s that?” 

“I don’t know if it’s the hormones or what but she had all these confessions to make, like all this shit she did when we were younger that she wanted to come clean about. And she told me something about um, that night.” Tim sounded nervous. 

“What about that night, Tim?” Gilbert asked sharply. 

“She - she said she faked the whole thing. You passed out and she staged it so it looked like something happened and then she took the picture. She posted it knowing that Anne would see it.” 

Gilbert couldn’t breathe, his jaw was clenched and his hands were balled into tight fists. “But the next morning she told me we’d had sex.” He said through gritted teeth. 

Tim took a deep breath. “I know, man. She lied, I guess. She’s my sister and I love her but she was kind of screwed up back then. I know it messed things up with you and Anne, I guess that was her intention.” 

“Messed things up, Tim? I haven’t spoken to Anne since then. She was my best friend and the fucking love of my life and I lost her because of your sister. My life would be completely different right now - and trust me it would be a hell of a lot better - if it wasn’t for that night. What in the actual fuck?”

“I know, Gilbert. Like I said, I wanted you to know. I’m really sorry about all of this. Look I’ll let you go. It was - it was good to talk to you, man.” He hung up before Gilbert could respond. 

Gilbert took a deep breath and heard a noise behind him, he swung around in his chair to see Winnie standing in the doorway of his office, a bag of takeout in her hands. Her face looked stricken and his stomach clenched. “Winnie.”

“Who the fuck is Anne, Gilbert? And why the fuck would your life be so much better with her?” 

_________________________________________________________________________

Present Day

Anne didn’t know what to say, her hands were shaking as she picked up her wine glass. She took a long gulp before setting it down and looking at him.“You found this out over a year ago? Why didn’t you reach out? Tell me?” She asked quietly. 

He took a deep breath. “I thought about it. But Mary had told me you’d just recently gotten engaged and I just - I didn’t want to fuck up your life any more than I had. Not to mention things with Winnie weren’t pretty and I knew we were on our way to a divorce and I just didn’t want to get you involved in any of that.” 

She nodded. “Right. Mary told me you guys split up. I’m sorry, Gilbert.” 

He shook his head. “Don’t be. It was a long time coming. If I’m being completely honest I shouldn’t have married her in the first place.” 

“Why not?” She asked. 

He thought for a minute. How much could he say to her? How much could he tell her without her fleeing this restaurant? “It just wasn’t right, from the beginning I was trying to force it.” 

She nodded as if she understood and didn’t push. “I honestly don’t really know what to say. What a fucking mess. It’s actually kind of hard to believe. I mean, who would do that?” 

He shook his head again. “I get that and you don’t have to say anything. I’ve had a lot longer to process it. And trust me, I was pretty fucking angry for a long time. I didn’t really know what to do with it. It’s not like I was going to drive to Boston and punch her although I did think about it.” She gave a small snort of laughter which made him smile. “Finally, a few months ago I started seeing a therapist. He actually encouraged me to tell you but I just, I still didn’t know if you’d even want to know. Like I said, I didn’t want to disrupt your life. But then this opportunity to come up here fell into my lap and I kind of felt like fate was intervening.” 

This time her snort of laughter was a lot louder. “Fate, Gilbert? Aren’t you a man of science?” 

He sat back and took a sip of beer. “Yeah. But we both know not everything can be explained away by science.” She looked up at him then and swallowed at the intensity in his gaze. 

She fiddled with her engagement ring and he tried not to watch, not needing the reminder. “So...friends?” She asked quietly. 

“I’d really, really like that.” He said and she gave him a small smile and a nod and he felt like the weight of the world lifted from his shoulders. He took another sip to steady himself. “Actually. I’ve been offered a position at U of T.” 

“You what?” She looked surprised and he smiled. 

“Yeah, you’re looking at the new Assistant Head of Medical Research for U of T.” 

Her jaw dropped. “Gilbert. That’s - that’s amazing! Congratulations!” She reached across the table and squeezed his hand. “Really, that is no small feat. I’m really proud of you.” 

His heart swelled and he squeezed her hand back. “Thanks, Anne. That means a lot to me.” 

She smiled and pulled her hand away leaving his feeling cold without it. “So when do you start?” 

“Well, I’m going to Avonlea to see Bash and Mary and Delly this weekend then I’ll fly back to Atlanta and start packing. I’ve got a few things to finish up at the CDC but I should be up here for good at the beginning of June. I’m spending the next couple of days looking at places to buy.” 

“Oh gosh I bet Delly is so excited to see you. She talks about you a lot you know.” 

Gilbert smiled. He knew Anne still talked to his family but it made him happy to hear it from her. “I’m excited to see her too. I can’t believe she’s a teenager now.” He rolled his eyes. 

She laughed. “Same age I was when we first met. Hopefully she won’t be pushing any boys into a pool this summer.” 

He chuckled. “Hopefully not. And hopefully no boys will be looking at her the way I was looking at you that day.” 

Anne snickered. “I don’t think you’ll be able to keep that from happening, Gil, sorry.” 

He heaved a dramatic sigh. “I guess not.” 

“I’m sure they’re excited to have you back up here permanently too. Even if Avonlea is still a ways away, at least it’s not Atlanta.” She took a sip of wine. “If you want I’d be happy to go with you to look at some places. It’s been awhile since you lived here, I’ll make sure you stay in the right neighborhoods.” 

“Yeah that would be great.” He nodded and looked so eager she had to hide a smile. Her phone started ringing in her bag and she pulled it out, she held a finger up to him and slid out of the booth as she answered. 

“Hey honey.” She said as she walked away from the booth and Gilbert swallowed the lump in his throat. She came back a few minutes later and slid back into the booth. 

“Gotta go?” He asked. 

“Yeah. Sorry. I forgot we have dinner reservations with Diana and Jerry.” She replied and Gilbert winced inwardly at her use of ‘we’. She drank the last bit of her wine and gave him a smile. “I’m really glad we did this, Gilbert. And even though I’m still not sure what to make of this information or even how I feel about it yet. I - I really do want us to be friends again.” 

He smiled. “Me too, Anne. Uh here, want to put your number in?” He asked as he slid his phone over to her. She took it and tapped for a minute before handing it back to him with a smile. 

“Text me tomorrow, let me know where you’re looking and if I can I’ll meet you there.” She grabbed her purse and he stood up with her. She hesitated for a minute but then she pulled him into a hug, he put his arms around her and had just long enough to breathe in her familiar scent before she pulled away and left. 

_________________________________________________________________________

Diana pulled Anne into the ladie’s room as soon as they finished dessert, leaving Jerry and James chatting at the table. 

“So? How did it go?” Diana demanded and Anne laughed at her. 

“It was fine, Di.” Anne went to the sink to smooth down her hair. She caught Diana staring at her in the mirror. “What?” 

“It was fine? That’s it? What did you guys talk about?” 

Anne sighed. “Okay so I haven’t actually even had time to process it so please spare me the questions.” Diana nodded and Anne filled her in on everything. 

“That. Fucking. BITCH!” Diana yelled and Anne grabbed her arm. 

“Shh. And yes. I know.” 

“What in the actual fuck? That is so unbelievably sick, I can’t even.” Diana whisper yelled. “Jesus. Poor Gilbert. I’m sure he spent the last 8 years torturing himself. We all cut him off. The only people from Avonlea who would give him the time of day was his family.” She suddenly looked sad and guilty and Anne put her arm around her. 

“He doesn’t blame anyone for that, Di. Well, maybe Sarah. But none of you guys. And trust me I appreciated the loyalty.” 

Diana was quiet for a minute while Anne reapplied her lipstick. “So what now, Anne?” 

Anne pursed her lips in the mirror. “What do you mean?” 

“I mean, Gilbert was the love of your life, Anne. And there is no way he doesn’t still feel something for you. And now that you know the truth and he’s moving here. I mean…” She trailed off. 

Anne looked at her sharply. “Diana, I’m still engaged to James. And Gilbert just wants to be friends again. If it was more than I think he would have told me as soon as he knew.”

“Not necessarily. You said he was going through a divorce, maybe he really didn’t want to get you involved in that like he said. And I know you’re engaged to James and you know I like James but…” She trailed off. 

“But what?” 

Diana took a deep breath. “Well, I just think there is a reason you’ve refused to set a wedding date and I think maybe that reason is because you were never ready to move on from Gilbert but now...now you don’t have to.” 

Anne whirled around to look at her. “Are you suggesting that I break up with James for Gilbert? I love James.” 

“I know you do! But honestly, Anne. Do you love him as much as you loved Gilbert? You guys have been fighting a lot, maybe that’s a sign.” 

Anne opened her mouth and then snapped it shut, taking a deep breath before answering. “We have been fighting a lot but couples go through those phases. Can we please just drop this?” 

Diana wanted to point out that Anne hadn’t answered her question but she knew better than to push and soon they left the bathroom to join the guys again. She sat down next to James and leaned into him, he moved his arm around her shoulders and ran his thumb up and down her arm. 

“Jerry was saying you guys are going to Avonlea the last week of May.” He looked at her.

“Yeah, Marilla wants to see the kids. Do you think you could get away for a few days?” She asked him and ignored Diana’s raised eyebrow. 

“Really?” He was surprised but pleased. “Yeah. I don’t see why not.”

She smiled and turned to Diana and Jerry. “I think we’re going to call it a night.” 

“What? No!” Diana grabbed at her hand. “Jerry and I have the sitter till midnight!” 

Anne laughed. “It’s a Tuesday, Di. Besides maybe you guys can think of something else to do with your newfound free time.” 

Jerry grinned and grabbed Diana’s hand. “Let’s go.” He pulled her out of the booth and Diana barely got her arms around Anne for a hug before she was being pulled away, both of them laughing. 

Anne turned to James. “Ready?” 

He nodded. “My place?” 

“Yeah.” She smiled and pressed her lips to his. 

She was washing her face in his bathroom when he came in carrying her cell phone. “This was going off in your purse.” He said tersely. 

She glanced at the screen. 

[Gilbert] It was really good to see you. Thanks for hearing me out and having drinks. I have an appointment at a place on Lakewood Ave. at 10am. That time work?

She looked up at James. “I told him I’d help him find a place to buy. Apparently he’s moving back to Toronto.” 

“He’s what?” 

“He’s moving back to Toronto. He accepted a position at U of T.” 

“That’s fucking great.” He said flatly. “And you had drinks with him. Why didn’t you tell me?” 

“Because it was literally right before dinner and I haven’t had a chance.” 

“Right. And you’re seeing him tomorrow again? You’re going house hunting with him when you refuse to do the same with me? What the fuck am I supposed to think about that?” 

“You’re not supposed to think anything, James. I’m just helping an old friend who hasn’t lived in the city in a long time. It’s not even remotely the same as you and me looking for a place.”

“He’s a grown man he can find his own damn place.” He muttered, pulling his shirt off and throwing it in the laundry. 

She sighed. “You’re overreacting.” 

“Am I? You refuse to set a wedding date. You refuse to live with me. Now your college boyfriend who cheated on you comes back into your life and you’re going house hunting with him and I’m just supposed to be okay with it?” 

She mumbled something and busied herself at the sink, rubbing lotion into her hands. 

“What?” He stared at her in the mirror and she raised her eyes to meet his. 

“He didn’t cheat on me. The girl - she made it all up. She admitted it to her brother who told Gilbert.” 

James ran a hand through his hair. “That is - I mean...that’s bullshit, Anne. You don’t actually believe that right? He clearly just wants back into your life and will say whatever he wants to get there.” 

She shook her head. “Gilbert isn’t a liar, James. Even back then he admitted it because she told him it happened and he believed her but he didn’t actually have a memory of it. Why would he come to me 8 years later and tell me this if it wasn’t true?” 

“Like I said, he wants back into your life and you’re just letting him.” 

“We were best friends before we dated. I’ve told you that. So yeah, I am letting him because he was my friend and I believe his story and why should I punish him any longer for something he didn’t do?” She glared at him, hands on her hips. “And the underlying problem here is that you don’t seem to trust me.” 

He tilted his head back to look at the ceiling for a minute before answering. “I don’t trust him. And I don’t want to lose you.” 

She softened a bit. “Come here.” She held out her hands to him and he crossed the space between them quickly, crashing his lips down to hers and wrapping his arms around her waist. After several minutes she pulled away and took him by the hand, leading him to bed. 

__________________________________________________________________________

“James. Seriously?” She angled her neck as she looked in the mirror. “You gave me a hickey!” 

He grinned as he got in the shower. “I’ll give you another one if you come join me.” 

She rolled her eyes. “We’re not 16 and it’s way too hot for a scarf.” She sighed. “I’m going to have to wear my hair down and hope no one notices.” 

“Sorry!” He called after her as she left the bathroom and she gave him a look that said she didn’t believe him, his laughter following her into the bedroom. She always kept a few items of clothing at his place so she grabbed a random dress from the closet and got dressed quickly. She had an 8am class and was already running late. 

She got stuck talking to a student after class so by the time she got to the address Gilbert had texted her it was close to 10:15. She saw him standing in front of the tall building and hurried down to him. 

“Sorry! I got caught up!” She ran up to him and it seemed like she was going to give him a hug but she stopped just short and he was left disappointed. 

“No worries. My realtor got delayed so just waiting on her too.” He said easily. 

She nodded and glanced at the building. “So is this it? Talk about a high rise.” They both tilted their heads back to look at the top. “How many stories is it?” 

He turned to answer her and stopped short, staring at the hickey on her neck. She turned and realized what he was looking at and hastily pulled her hair back over the front of her shoulders, looking embarrassed.

He cleared his throat. “Let me call Helen.” He pulled out his phone to dial his agent. 

His agent arrived soon after and the trio checked out the amenities in the lower levels of the building before they took the elevator all the way to the top. Helen stepped outside to make a call while Gilbert and Anne checked out the condo. 

“This view is incredible.” Anne stood in front of the massive windows in the living room that displayed a stunning view of the cityscape. “This whole place is amazing. You can afford this?” 

He nods. “CDC pays well.” He said simply and she rolled her eyes at him. They wandered through the rest of the place before making it back to the kitchen. She was standing at the sink checking out the appliances and he leaned back against a wall to watch her. He was lost in the fantasy of her standing there in the morning, hair rumpled with nothing but a t-shirt on when Helen suddenly walked back in. 

“So what do you guys think?” The older woman asked. 

“I love it.” Gilbert said, turning to her. “I’d like to go ahead and make an offer.” 

Anne looks surprised. “This is the first place you’ve seen. Are you sure?” 

He gazes at her. “Yeah. If the first one fits perfectly why look anywhere else? I learned that lesson a long time ago, the hard way.” 

She swallowed hard and tore her eyes away from his, fiddling with the faucet. 

“Excellent!” Helen laughed. “This may be my easiest sale of the year! I’ll get the papers drawn up and sent over to you asap before any other offers can come in.” 

Back out on the street Helen bid them farewell and Gilbert turned to Anne. “Do you have another class soon or do you have time for an early lunch? My treat?” 

She glanced at her phone. “I have office hours at 1 so I can get some lunch. I didn’t actually have time to eat earlier so I am pretty hungry.” 

He smiled brightly. “Great. Poutine?” 

She laughed. “Always.”

They settled into a booth at a burger place around the corner and Gilbert watched Anne fiddle with the straw in her milkshake for a minute. “So tell me about James.” 

She looked up at him sharply but his face was placid and she relaxed a bit. “He’s in advertising, started out on the creative side but moved to the business side of it. He’s good at both, really. Grew up in Winnipeg, his family is still out there.” She smiled to herself. “He has a sister with three kids and they are the cutest things.” 

“How did you guys meet?” 

“Oh uhm, you remember Moody Spurgeon and Ruby Gillis right?” Gilbert nodded. “Moody used to work with James, same advertising firm and they became good friends. Ruby tried for a while to set us up on a blind date but, well, at that point I wasn’t ready for anything like that.” She didn’t meet his eyes and he felt his heart twist a bit. “Anyway, Ruby and Moody got married three years ago and he was a groomsman, I was a bridesmaid, tale as old as time right?” She gave a small laugh. 

“So have you guys set a date?” 

“Not yet, no.” 

He tried to hide his relief. “Why not? You’ve been engaged for a while right? I remember when Mary told me.” It had been one of the worst days of his life so how could he forget. 

“It just hasn’t been the right time.” She said easily, thanking their server as their food was put down. She grabbed a gravy covered fry. 

He could tell that was as far as she was going to go on the topic and turned his attention to the poutine. He took a huge bite and closed his eyes. “Mmmmm I missed this.” 

She laughed. “Poutine not so good in the great city of Atlanta, eh?” 

He smiled and took another bite. “There are some restaurants that do a pretty good job of it but nothing beats a good old plate of Canadian poutine.” He took another bite. “But they do other things well. The American south has its share of issues but damn do they know how to cook.”

“Yeah? Like what?” 

“Mac and cheese, chicken and waffles, barbecue, pralines. Oh, shrimp and grits are a particular favorite of mine.” 

She looked at him like he’d grown a second head. “Okay, I feel like you’re just making shit up now.” 

He laughed. “No really! Done right it’s one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. Someday I’ll take you down there and you can try it all for yourself.” His smile faded as her eyes darted away and he realized the implication of what he’d said. 

She cleared her throat. “You know, I should probably go. Lunch traffic around the school can be terrible.” She stood up quickly. “Thanks for lunch.” She gave an awkward wave and practically ran out of the restaurant. 

“You’re an idiot, Blythe.” Gilbert muttered to himself as he waved the server over to pay the check. 

_________________________________________________________________________

“You’re an idiot, Blythe.” Bash said as he threw Gilbert’s suitcase into the trunk of the car. “You think you were just going to swoop into her life and what? She was just going to run off into the sunset with you?” 

Gilbert sighed as he settled into the passenger seat. “It just came out. You know? We were sitting there and talking just like old times and I said it before I even realized it.” He took a deep breath. “None of this is easy for me, you know. The fucking guilt I lived with for 7 years was exhausting. It’s hard not to want to go back to how it was.” 

Bash nodded knowingly. The first few months after their breakup Gilbert would call Bash and Mary at odd times of night so Mary could talk him down from a metaphorical ledge. He was almost always drunk during those calls and Bash and Mary had wondered more than once if it was turning into a problem they needed to address. But his schoolwork had miraculously not suffered and then he met Winnie and the late night phone calls had stopped. 

“I know. Hey let’s just enjoy the weekend. Mary is excited to see you. We thought we’d let it be a surprise for Delly, we’ll pick her up from school this afternoon.” 

Gilbert smiled. “That sounds great. I still can’t believe she’s a teenager.” 

Bash groaned. “Don’t remind me. God the sass in that girl rivals her mothers.” 

Gilbert laughed. “Poor outnumbered Bash. We both know you wouldn’t have it any other way.” 

Bash grinned. “So true, Blythe, so true.” 

The weekend passed too quickly and it was Mary taking him back to the airport Sunday afternoon as Bash had to get some work done. He could feel her glance at him more than once so he finally turned away from the window to look at her. 

“Something on your mind, Mary?” He asked, half joking. 

“I just think you need to be careful, Gilbert. I know you still love her but she’s with James. And I don’t want to see you get hurt and I don’t want to see you force her to hurt you. Does that make sense?” 

He clenched his jaw and nodded and she continued. “I know you want to be in her life again and I understand that. Just - don’t go making some huge proclamation. Because it’s unlikely to end in your favor and then you may just lose her completely all over again. And I don’t want to see you go through that again.” 

He was quiet for a long time. “Mary, I made a mistake with Winnie. I shouldn’t have married her. I should have known it would never be anyone but Anne. I don’t want to make a mistake and have her disappear from my life again. But at the same time, doesn’t it make sense for her to have all the information? To know how I feel? Then she can make her own decision and I’ll just have to live with whatever that is.” 

“Gilbert, if she was single I would say yes, go ahead and tell her. But she’s not, she’s engaged. You know Anne, she didn’t come to that decision lightly.” He winced. “That’s not meant to make you feel bad about Winnie, I’m just reminding you that as passionate a person as Anne is she’s also very smart and doesn’t make big decisions on a whim. If you tell her and she still chooses him it’s very unlikely that James would be comfortable with you being in her life and she’ll respect that.” She took a deep breath. “I can’t stop you if you want to tell her I just want you to be absolutely 100% sure that you can live with the worst case scenario if you do.”

He clenched his jaw and stared out the window. They were quiet for the rest of the ride and she gave him a tight hug at the airport. “Remember, we’re always here for you okay?” He nodded and turned to enter the terminal. 

____________________________________________________________________________

“Okay so what did he say?” Cole said, taking a sip of his margarita. 

It was the Saturday night after her lunch debacle with Gilbert and she was laying on a chaise on Cole’s patio, Diana curled up at the other end. 

“He said that someday he’d take me down to Atlanta so I can try the food. It was just a one off comment, it didn’t mean anything.” Anne stared up at the night sky. 

Cole and Diana exchanged a look. “You want to know what I think?” Cole asked. 

“No but I’m sure you’re going to tell me anyway.” Anne said, staring at the sky and Diana snorted. 

“Damn right. I think he’s still in love with you and he wants you back.” Cole said simply. 

Diana nodded. “That’s what I said.” 

“And you’re both wrong. Too much has happened. He got married, I’m engaged to James. We’re just dipping our toes into friendship.” 

“He also got divorced, Anne.” Cole reminded her and she rolled her eyes. “And yeah, you’re engaged to James. But you refuse to make the next move. That says something.” 

“Stop! Both of you stop. I get enough of this from James. I don’t need it from you two as well.” She sat up, glaring at them. 

Diana glanced at Cole who jumped up quickly. “I’ll refresh our drinks and get the guacamole.” He said, hurrying into the kitchen. 

“I’m sorry, Anne.” Diana said quietly, putting her hand on Anne’s foot. “We won’t say anymore, okay?” Anne nodded. “I’m going to go help Cole, we’ll be back.” 

Anne nodded, knowing that they were going to be whispering about her outburst in the kitchen. She sighed and picked her phone up, tapping out a text. 

[Anne] Hey - how’s your trip to Avonlea? How are BMD?’  
[Gilbert] It’s really good, it’s been too long since I’ve been home. They’re good, Delly has a dance recital the end of the month so I think I’m going to try to get back up from Atlanta before then so I can make it  
[Anne] Oh yeah, I’ll be in Avonlea that week. I was planning on going to her recital  
[Gilbert] I’m sure she’ll be happy to see you there  
[Gilbert] Look Anne, I’m really sorry about the other day. It was weird, I didn’t mean it like it sounded  
[Anne] It’s fine, Gil, no big deal  
[Gilbert] Okay. Cool. So what are you up to?

Anne sank back further onto the chaise. 

[Anne] I’m at Cole’s. Diana is here too, we’re having margaritas  
[Gilbert] So you’re drunk texting me?  
[Anne] Uh no I’m just a little tipsy  
[Gilbert] we both know you go from tipsy Anne to drunk Anne in like half a drink  
[Anne] how dare you! I can hold my liquor  
[Gilbert] right, like you held it that night at the county fair  
[Anne] excuse me, whose idea was it to get drunk and then ride bumper cars  
[Gilbert] Uh, yours, Anne. That was your idea  
[Anne] oh right  
[Gilbert] lmao and it was your idea to get drunk before we went zip lining in Hawaii

Anne’s stomach tightened. They had gone to Hawaii the summer before he went off to Harvard. It had been a graduation present from Bash and Mary and one of the most amazing weeks of her life. They had eaten delicious food, swam in crystal blue water, and hiked all over the island. They’d found a secluded little beach on one of their hikes and decided it was the only time in their lives they would ever be able to go skinny dipping so they’d stripped bare and ran into the waves laughing and playfully grabbing each other. They’d laid out on their towels, letting the sun dry them and when Gilbert had leaned down to kiss her she’d pulled him close and to this day she wasn’t sure if it was the mix of the sun and the waves or just the thrill of being caught but it was the most memorable and amazing sex she’d ever had. 

She hesitated before responding. 

[Anne] Right, Hawaii. That was a pretty amazing trip

She bit her lip when he didn’t respond right away. 

[Gilbert] it was...best week of my life

She let out a breath but before she could reply she got a text alert from James. She clicked over to it. 

[James] hey beautiful, are you going to stay at Cole’s or do you want me to come get you?

She closed her eyes before responding. 

[Anne] Come get me, maybe like an hour?  
[James] You got it. Does Diana need a ride home too?  
[Anne] Yeah, that’d be good. Thanks, babe.   
[James] Sure thing  
[Anne] love you  
[James] love you too

She clicked back over to her text with Gilbert. 

[Anne] I gotta go. Good luck with your move, see you in Avonlea in a few weeks

She set her phone down as Cole and Diana came back out to the patio. “James will be here in like an hour, Di. He said he can give you a ride home.” 

“Oh good, thanks.” Diana smiled and Anne knew a truce had been made between them.


	6. Chapter 6

Gilbert could not sit still, he kept twisting around and fidgeting in his seat. Finally Bash smacked him upside the head with a rolled up program. “Are you 5 years old, Blythe? Stop moving around.” 

“Sorry.” He muttered and tried to keep his eyes focused forward. He was kind of nervous to see her. They hadn’t really talked since that night and he could have kicked himself for bringing Hawaii up. She’d responded to his periodic texts and while they weren’t unfriendly they were short and she never texted him first. 

There were four seats empty next to him, he’d had to send a few people away who tried to claim them. He sensed movement out of the corner of his eye and turned to see Matthew and Marilla standing at the end of the aisle. Matthew gave him an embarrassed nod and Marilla gave him a warm but sad smile and he jumped up. 

“Marilla, Matthew - hi. It’s so good to see you.” He held out a hand to help her walk between the seats and after a brief hesitation she put her arms around him for a tight hug. 

“It’s great to see you too, Gilbert.” She patted his shoulder. “I - Anne told us, everything. I - I don’t…” 

“It’s okay, Marilla. Really. I’m just glad we all know the truth.” He smiled at her and she nodded. Matthew shook his hand and made a noise in the back of his throat. Gilbert swallowed a chuckle, some people don’t change. 

After they greeted Bash and Mary they settled into their seats with Marilla sitting next to Gilbert and he turned to look at the entry doors. “Uh, Anne and Jerry are coming right?” 

“Oh not Jerry, he and Diana and the kids are at Diana’s parent’s house. James is coming.” Marilla said absently, reading over the program. 

“Oh.” Gilbert bit back the disappointment. “That’s good. I haven’t met him yet.” 

A minute later he turned to look at the entrance again and he saw them walk in. His breath caught in his throat as he took in her appearance. She was wearing a light green floral sundress with tiny blue flowers that skimmed a few inches above her knees and her hair was up in a braided crown. She looked absolutely stunning. Then his eyes shifted to the man next to her. He was a good foot taller than her and thin but athletic with sandy blonde hair. He had an arm around her waist as he steered her down the aisle and Gilbert turned quickly to face the front. He sensed the movement out of the corner of his eye as she took her seat next to Matthew. He turned his head and their eyes met, she gave him a smile but before she could say anything the lights in the auditorium dimmed. 

He tried to focus on the little kids dancing across the stage but every movement from the couple at the end of the aisle caught his eye. When James put his arm around her shoulder and she leaned closer to him. When she shifted and he moved his hand to her leg. When she leaned forward to get a better view of the stage and he put his hand on the back of her neck, rubbing lazily in a way that made Gilbert know he’d done it a thousand times. 

Gilbert’s jaw was clenched the entire time with the effort to not react. To not stand up, pull her away from him and run straight out of the building and never look back. He didn’t realize how tense he was until Mary leaned over and rested her hand on his clenched fist. He looked at her and she gave him a look that said she understood but he needed to get it together. He closed his eyes and nodded slightly and took a few deep breaths, returning his focus to the stage just in time for Delly’s group to start performing. 

It was easier to concentrate then as he watched his niece dance around the stage. He couldn’t believe how grown up she looked, so elegant and graceful. So different from the little girl he and Anne used to chase around the backyard pretending to be monsters. He clapped loudly when the performance was over and after the last age group danced the lights came up and the audience stood up to stretch and file out of the auditorium. 

Gilbert followed behind the four of them silently, ignoring James’ hand on the small of Anne’s back. Did he ever stop touching her? It was so possessive. Gilbert rolled his eyes. They got outside and Anne and James turned to face the rest of the group. 

“James, you remember Bash and Mary.” Anne said and the three exchanged pleasantries. Then she turned to Gilbert. “And this is Gilbert. Gilbert, this is my fiance James.” 

He nodded and stuck his hand out to shake James’. “It’s good to meet you, Gilbert. Anne’s told me a lot about you.” James said. “Some of it is uh, pretty unbelievable.” 

“Yeah, well, all that matters is that Anne believes it.” He replied easily, pleased to see the other man’s eyes narrow a bit at him. 

Marilla cleared her throat. “Wasn’t Delly just marvelous up there? She’s such an amazing dancer, I do hope she continues on with it.” 

Anne gave her a grateful look. “She really was.” She turned to Bash and Mary. “We were thinking of getting dinner, do you guys want to join us?”

Bash glanced at Gilbert as if silently asking if he’d be able to behave and Gilbert ignored him. “We’d love to join you guys.” He said, answering for them. 

Just then the dancers started spilling out of the doors from backstage and Delly ran up to the group, throwing her arms around Anne who hugged her back fiercely and Gilbert swallowed a lump in his throat. 

“Oh my Delly Belly you looked so beautiful up there!” She handed Delly the bouquet of flowers she’d been holding. “These are you for, sweetheart.” 

“Thank you, Anne!” Delly then gave her parents, Gilbert, and Matthew and Marilla each a hug as they sang their praises to her. 

“We thought we’d go out to celebrate your recital, Delly.” Matthew said, looking down at the girl fondly. “Anywhere you want to go, you name it.” 

Delly jumped up and down. “Oh can we go to Miss Jeannie’s? I want a strawberry milkshake so bad!” 

Anne and Gilbert glanced at each other. Jeannie’s had been their spot in high school, the place where Gilbert first introduced her to poutine and where many, many secrets and long conversations had been shared. Later in college after they were dating it was also the place where he told her he loved her the first time when they were home for spring break a couple of weeks after his visit to her dorm room. She had jumped across the table, crushing her mouth to his and after a long kiss he’d laughed and asked her if that meant she loved him back. 

“Milkshakes sound perfect, Delly.” Gilbert smiled down at her and the group began walking to the parking lot. 

A little while later they were being led to the largest booth in the restaurant and Bash held Gilbert back a little as they filed through the tables. “You better behave, Blythe. This is Delly’s night.” He muttered. 

Gilbert nodded and soon the group was settled in. It was easy enough to heed Bash’s warning since Delly and Anne did a lot of the chattering anyway. He even managed to keep his face placid when James tucked a strand of hair behind her ear while looking right at Gilbert.

“Gilbert.” Marilla said and he tore his attention away from the couple across from him. “Anne tells me you have bought a condo in Toronto. How are you settling in?” 

“Oh, well I don’t actually close on it for a few weeks so I’ve moved into temporary housing provided by the university. It’s fully furnished which is good because I pretty much sold everything except clothes and books before I left Atlanta. Less to move with. But it also means I’ll need to spend the next few weeks doing some serious shopping.” 

“Ah! Anne can help you!” Delly said, excited. “She loves decorating and stuff, don’t you, Anne? She’s so good at it too. She helped me with my room.” 

The adults all shifted uncomfortably and Gilbert noticed James’ hand clench on the table. Finally Anne broke the silence. “Uh sure. I can help with some of it.” She said and Gilbert tried not to smirk at the tension on James’ face. 

“That would be great, Anne. Thanks.” He said, taking a sip of his milkshake.

Later that night he was laying in his old bed, scrolling through his phone and resisting the urge to text her when a text notification popped up and he clicked over to it. 

[unknown number] Hey Gilbert, it’s Diana! It’s been a long time, how are you?  
[Gilbert] Hey Di, I’m doing alright, how are you? Heard you have a couple of babies huh?  
[unknown number] Yeah! Joseph and Cordelia, the little monsters are the loves of my life!  
[Gilbert] Haha that’s awesome, I hope to meet them sometime  
[unknown number] That’s actually why I’m texting, got your number from Anne. My parents are having a get together tomorrow, a cook out. Do you want to come? See the old gang?

Gilbert hesitated. The group had always been more of Anne’s friends than his since he was a year older than them and they had been ferocious in their loyalty to her after the breakup, not that he could blame them. But Diana obviously knew the truth now and was extending an olive branch so why not? Plus more time with Anne was always going to be a yes for him. 

[Gilbert] Sure that sounds great, can I bring anything?  
[unknown number] Just your swim trunks, party starts at 2  
[Gilbert] See you then. Thanks for the invite, Di  
[unknown number] Of course, Gilbert. Can’t wait to see you!

____________________________________________________________________________

Gilbert walked through the familiar back gate of the Barry’s house and scanned the crowd. There were a lot of people there, more than he’d been expecting but the Barry’s hardly ever did anything halfway. There were people lounging on pool chaises, milling around on the grass, kids jumping in and out of the pool. 

“Gilbert!” He turned and saw Moody and Charlie heading his way, he walked over to meet them and was surprised when they both clapped his back enthusiastically. “It’s so good to see you, man.” Charlie said. 

The three men caught up for a few minutes and it was pretty obvious that Diana had spread the word because they acted like nothing had happened. Moody was telling him about his work when Gilbert’s attention was caught by Anne exiting the house. She had on a skimpy blue bikini with white polka dots and her hair was up in a high bun and she looked amazing but what made his breath catch in his throat was the dark headed baby on her hip. She looked so damn natural and beautiful and his mind immediately went to fantasizing about her carrying their baby. She spotted him and her face lit up, she began walking his way and he excused himself from Moody and Charlie to meet her halfway. 

“Hey Gil, glad you could make it.” She smiled at him. 

“Yeah. I guess I have you to thank for being invited.” He smiled down at her. 

“Well, Diana has been pretty adamant to make things right.” She bounced the baby on her hip. “This is my niece Cordelia.” 

Gilbert waved at her and Cordelia tucked her face into Anne’s shoulder, making them both laugh. “How old is she?” 

“11 months. Her brother Joseph is the one in the blue and green floaties jumping in and out of the pool.” She pointed with her chin and he turned and caught sight of the little boy as he jumped into the pool again. 

“Rambunctious, eh?” He asked and she laughed and nodded. “Hard to believe Jerry and Diana have two kids. So much has happened.” He wished he could see her eyes but the sunglasses she had on blocked them and she simply nodded. 

“Yeah, a lot can happen in 8 years.” She said quietly. Cordelia began to fuss and she shifted her to her other hip. “I better get her to Diana. The food is over there, let me know if you need anything okay?” 

You. I need you. “I will, thanks.” He nodded and watched her walk away. 

“Gilbert.” He heard his name and turned to see James walking up to him. 

“James.” He replied, taking a swig of his beer. 

“I know she looks amazing but if you could please stop staring at her, I’d appreciate it.” James’ voice was even but the tone was menacing. “She’s my fiance. Not yours. You fucked that up. And I know what you’re doing, trying to weasel your way back into her life. It’s not going to work, she’s mine.” 

“I didn’t realize she was a piece of property, James.” Gilbert said evenly. “Why don’t we just let her decide for herself?” He walked away before James could say anything else.

____________________________________________________________________________

“We got into a huge fight after the party on Saturday.” Anne sighed as she laid out the dress she was going to wear. “He barely spoke to me on the trip home Sunday.” 

“What was the fight about?” Diana’s voice came through the speaker. 

“Gilbert.” Anne said simply. 

“And yet you’re going shopping with Gilbert today?” Diana asked. 

“It’s just shopping for some furniture, I told him I would.” Anne pulled the dress over her head and began buttoning the front. 

“Anne. It might come down to you having to choose between them.” 

Anne sat on the bed and began buckling her sandals and didn’t say anything. 

“Are you still there?” Di asked. 

“Yeah. Look, I have to run, Di. I’ll call you later. Love you.” She hung up quickly and pulled a brush through her hair, checking her makeup in the mirror before heading out the door. 

A few hours later she and Gilbert were standing in a mattress store staring around the giant showroom. 

“I literally have no idea where to start.” He muttered and she laughed. 

“Well, we found you a bed frame and headboard. So at least we know the mattress needs to be a king sized. Why don’t you just start laying on some and we’ll go from there?” 

He nodded and they walked over to the one closest and he laid down, rolling a bit and making her laugh. “Tell me what you think.” He beckoned to her and she hesitated briefly before laying down next to him. 

“I don’t know. Too firm, I think.” She said and he nodded. They got up and went to another one. They lost count of the mattresses and were so busy laughing and rolling around on them that Anne was startled when she heard her name. She popped up and the blood left her face. 

“Casey!” She stood up quickly. “Hi, how are you?” She accepted an air kiss from the other woman. 

Casey looked her up and down and glanced over at Gilbert before turning back to Anne with a gleam in her eye. “I’m doing well. Ryan just got a big promotion at work, did James tell you?” 

“Uh, yeah, he did. That’s so great, tell Ryan congrats for me, please.” 

“I will. And who is this?” She turned to Gilbert. 

“Oh, this is an old friend of mine, Gilbert. He just moved back to the city, I’m helping him pick out some furniture and things.” She turned to Gilbert. “Gilbert, this is Casey, her husband is a good friend of James’.” She said pointedly and he nodded. 

“Nice to meet you, Casey.” He said, shaking her hand. 

“Not as nice as it is to meet you, Gilbert. Anne sure knows how to pick her friends.” The woman eyed him and he cleared his throat. She turned back to Anne. “Well, it was good to see you, Anne. I’m looking forward to that wedding invitation. I’ll leave you two be.” She smiled demurely at Anne and walked away. 

“Oh God.” Anne sat down heavily on the mattress and put her head in her hands. “No way is she not going to go tell James exactly what she just saw.” 

“We weren’t doing anything, Anne.” He said gently, sitting down next to her. 

“Doesn’t matter. James will twist it and we’ll get into another fight.” 

“Sounds healthy.” He muttered. 

“Seriously, Gilbert?” She turned on him, eyes flashing. “I should go.” 

“Wait, Anne. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.” He grabbed her hand and she swallowed hard. 

She took a deep breath and squeezed his hand. “It’s okay. It’s not really your fault. He and I have been fighting for a while, before you came back into my life.” 

“What were you fighting about?” He asked quietly. 

“Moving in together, setting a date. I haven’t been ready for either and he’s been pushing harder and harder which just makes me resist more and a few months ago it just started getting worse.” She gave him a wry smile. “You’ve just added more fuel to the flames.” 

“I didn’t mean to make anything harder for you, Anne.” He said and lifted his hand to touch her cheek softly. 

She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch briefly before standing up abruptly. “It’s okay. I really should go though. I’ll text you okay? We can look for dishes and kitchen stuff next time?” 

He nodded, relieved that there would be a next time. “Yeah, sounds good. Let me know if you need me for anything okay? Anything.” 

She nodded and left the store quickly. 

___________________________________________________________________________

Anne sucked in a breath when she pulled into her driveway and saw James’ car there. He would normally still be at work. “She sure didn’t waste any time.” Anne muttered to herself as she got out of the car. She took a deep breath and walked into the house. He was sitting at the kitchen island, staring at his phone. 

“Hey.” She said, setting her purse down. “Casey called you?” 

He nodded, his jaw clenched. He looked up at her and the anger in his eyes made her take a step back. 

“What the fuck, Anne?” He finally exploded and she flinched. 

“We weren’t doing anything, James. We were in a fucking store. He was just trying out mattresses.” 

“And why the fuck would you need to be trying them out with him? Why does it matter unless you’re planning on fucking him on it?” He shouted. 

She grabbed her purse and turned to leave the kitchen. “I don’t have to listen to you and your stupid insecurities.” She gasped when he grabbed her arm and pulled her back into the room. 

“I’m done with this!” He said, hand squeezing her arm. “You need to cut him off.” 

“You’re hurting my arm, James.” She yanked it and he let go. She glared up at him. “Don’t make me choose between you two.” 

“Why? Because you’ll choose him?” He yelled. 

“Yes!” She screamed back and instantly covered her mouth surprised. His eyes widened and they stared at each other, breathing heavily for a long moment. 

“James, I - I’m sorry.” She reached out to touch him but he jerked away from her. 

“Don’t.” He sat down heavily on the barstool. “You never stopped loving him, did you?” 

She leaned against the counter and closed her eyes. “I don’t know. I tried. Please know that I do love you.” 

“But not as much as you love him.” He said bitterly. 

She didn’t say anything and after a long silence he stood up abruptly. “Great. I’ll go pack up my things.” 

She started crying and shakily poured a glass of wine and went to the patio. She was staring into the yard when he came out a little while later. He stood there for a long minute, looking down at her before she finally returned his gaze. She slid her ring off and handed it to him. 

“I am sorry.” She whispered. 

He sighed. “I’ll pack up your stuff. You can come by anytime this week to get it. Leave the key when you do.” She nodded and he set her house key down on the table next to her before turning to leave.


	7. Chapter 7

Gilbert was sure he was going to go insane. It had been nearly three months since he’d heard from Anne and the last text had been a simple request for him to give her space. He’d typed out and deleted a hundred responses before finally settling on telling her that he’d be there when she was ready. He didn’t know what had happened after she left the mattress store but he was sure this was James forcing him out of her life and all he could do was hope she wouldn’t let it last forever. He had considered texting Diana but had a feeling he wouldn’t get anywhere with her anyway and Bash and Mary didn’t seem to know anything. 

He stared at the paperwork on his desk until his vision blurred then pushed back abruptly, rubbing at his eyes. There was a knock at his office door and his new colleague Nick poked his head in. 

“Hey, you going to the gala tomorrow night?” Nick asked. “My wife wants to introduce you to her sister.” 

Gilbert tried hard not to roll his eyes. He liked the people he was working with but ever since he’d started his position he’d had several colleagues trying to set him up on various dates. He had managed to get out of them all with success but knew that would only go on for so long. 

“What gala, Nick?” He asked, leaning back in his chair. 

“The Alumni Gala. Happens every year just after Fall semester starts.” 

Gilbert perked up. “Is it for the whole university?” 

Nick nodded. “Yeah. Faculty and staff are pretty much expected to go. You should have gotten an email about it weeks ago.” 

“I’ve been so busy settling in I must have missed it. But yeah, I’ll be going.” 

“Great!” Nick jumped up and started heading out the door. “You’ve just scored me major points with the Mrs. I owe you!” 

“Nick, wait -” Gilbert started but Nick was gone. 

Gilbert sighed and searched his inbox and found the invite, black tie. He’d have to dig out his tuxedo, hopefully it wasn’t in need of cleaning. He considered texting Anne to see if she’d be going. It would be an innocent enough text. But at the same time he wanted to respect her wishes. He’d waited 8 years, he could wait a bit longer. If he didn’t go insane first. 

___________________________________________________________________________

Gilbert grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing server and turned to survey the room. The place was full of people dressed in their finest, the women all wearing sparkly gowns and the men in tuxedos. He meandered through the crowd, looking for one particular familiar face when he heard his name. He turned to see Nick heading his way with two well dressed women in tow. He sighed inwardly and waited for them to arrive. 

“Gilbert! This is my wife Lisa, and this is her sister, Mandy.” Nick introduced them and Gilbert shook their hands. 

Mandy wasted no time sidling up to him. “Nick has told me a lot about you, Gilbert. You’ve been working at the CDC, is that right?” Gilbert nodded and flicked his eyes back through the crowd. “That’s very impressive.” She smiled at him and placed a hand on his arm. 

“Thank you.” He said, still scanning the room. She said something else but he didn’t hear her. His eyes had found their mark and suddenly there was nobody else in the room.

She was wearing a sapphire blue strapless gown that hugged her curves with a high slit that exposed her perfectly creamy thigh when she walked. The dress had a wide embellished belt at the waist that sparkled in the low light of the room. Her hair was done in a loose side bun and red tendrils floated around her face. She glanced around the room and like a heat seeking missile her eyes found his. She smiled and that was all it took. He murmured a quick ‘excuse me’ to those around him and made a beeline for her. 

He wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and kiss her senseless but he stopped just short and looked her up and down. 

“Anne.” He breathed. “My God.” 

She laughed lightly. “You like?” 

“Like?” He gave a strangled laugh. “That’s not a good enough word. You look absolutely - stunning, beautiful, radiant. I could go on.” 

She smiled and put her hand on his arm. “You look pretty good yourself.” She said looking him up and down appreciatively, making him swallow hard. “How about you get me a drink and we’ll see how many more words you can come up with.” 

He grinned. “Absolutely.” They made their way to the bar and then settled at a cocktail table. 

“I’m sorry I’ve been MIA, Gil.” She said quietly, looking down at her glass. 

“I - it’s okay, Anne. I told you I’d be here when you were ready.” 

She raised her eyes to his. “I know, and I appreciate that.” She hesitated and reached out to touch his arm again across the table. He glanced down and his eyes widened at the lack of her engagement ring. “I’m ready now.” She said simply. 

He raised his eyes back up to hers, questioning. “James?” 

She shook her head and he saw a flash of sadness in her eyes. “We called it off. The night of the mattress debacle actually.” 

He swallowed hard. “I’m sorry, Anne.” 

“Don’t be. It was a long time coming, I think. I feel sad that I hurt him and let it go on for so long but it never really felt completely right and I could never put my finger on why.” She squeezed his arm. “Until you came back into my life.” 

He put his hand over hers. “I’ve been going kind of crazy the last few months. After having you back in my life after 8 years and then you were gone again. I - I was terrified I’d never hear from you again.” 

“I’m sorry. I needed some time to mourn my relationship with him and to figure out my feelings.” 

“And have you?” He asked quietly. “Figured them out?” 

She nodded. “I have.” She paused. “I’m glad you’re here tonight. Otherwise my plan wouldn’t have gone so smoothly.” 

“What plan is that?” He asked, not daring to breathe. 

“Well.” She gazed up at him and bit her lower lip. “I only bought this dress so you could take it off.”***

“Fuck.” He muttered, the air leaving his lungs. He grabbed her hand and started pulling her to an outside terrace. 

She laughed and followed him. “Gilbert, we can’t leave yet. I still have to schmooze with people.” 

“It can wait a minute.” He muttered, voice hoarse. They got out onto the terrace and he swiftly pushed her against the wall, capturing her lips with his in a bruising kiss. She melted against him, sliding her hands into his curls and flicking her tongue over his bottom lip. He moaned and tightened his grip on her hips, pulling her closer to him, sliding his tongue into her mouth and angling his head to deepen the kiss. 

Suddenly the sound of clapping from inside pulled them back to the real world. He buried his head into her neck. “I don’t want to go back in there.” He moaned. 

She laughed. “We have to. We have to at least be seen for a bit. My boss would not be happy if I just disappeared. I’m working on tenure you know.” 

He sighed. “Yeah. Probably need to make a good impression on mine too.” He grinned down at her and she laughed, reaching up to wipe the lipstick smudges from his mouth and trying to flatten the curls at the back of his head. 

“One hour.” She said. “Meet me out front in one hour.” She gave him a quick peck and slipped away. He waited a minute to get his body to calm down then followed her into the ballroom. 

As excruciating as the last three months had been the next hour was five times worse. Gilbert found himself distracted with everyone he spoke with, scanning the room to catch sight of her and glancing at his watch every few minutes anxiously. It was just about time to escape when his boss grabbed him and introduced him to a group of rather important looking people. He did his best to focus and no one seemed put out so he thought he did a pretty decent job. He was finally able to break away when someone went up to the microphone to make a speech. He backed away from the group and turned, sprinting towards the entrance. 

He was just about to the door when a familiar voice called out to him and he turned to see Cole striding toward him. 

“Gilbert.” Cole said stopping short. “It’s good to see you.” 

Gilbert chuckled. “It’s good to see you too, Cole. I never got a chance to tell you but you have one hell of a right hook.” 

Cole smiled. “Anne told me about everything and I won’t apologize for hitting you but given the information I’m hoping there can be no hard feelings?” 

Gilbert nodded. “Of course, man. I’m honestly glad Anne had such a good support system.” 

“She still does.” Cole replied. “And with James out of the picture I want to make sure that you know that if anything like that happens again, if you hurt her in any way. I’ll make sure to actually break your jaw.” He said it with a smile but Gilbert still knew he was serious. 

“Right. Don’t worry, Cole. I have absolutely no intention of losing her again. Ever.” 

“I didn’t think so but wanted to make sure you knew.” Cole smiled. “I think she’s waiting for you. It was good to see you.” And with that he turned and went back to the party. Gilbert shook his head and chuckled a bit before hurrying outside. 

She was standing by the valet stand, chatting with the young valet. “Oh Gilbert!” She called when she saw him. “Come meet Jake. He’s one of my brightest students. He wants to be a doctor too. Maybe you could meet with him sometime? Let him pick your brain?” 

Gilbert smiled. God he would do anything for this woman. “Sure.” He turned to the kid and handed him his valet ticket, gripping the kid’s hand hard as he spoke his next words. “It’s great to meet you, Jake. And I will answer any questions you want to ask me. Later. Right now I really need you to go get my car.” 

The young man looked surprised and mildly scared and he hurried away. “Gilbert.” Anne admonished, laughing at him. “He’s going to be too scared to ask you anything now.” 

“Worth it.” He murmured, pulling her closer and nibbling her ear a bit until he felt the goosebumps flood her bare arm. 

Jake showed up with the car and Gilbert helped Anne in before hurrying around to the other side. The drive to his place wasn’t long but Gilbert couldn’t resist touching her anyway. The slit in her dress fell open to expose her thigh and he slid his hand slowly up and down the smooth skin. She reached over and ran her fingers over the back of his neck, making him swallow hard. 

When they finally got into his place he turned and immediately pushed her against the door, kissing her deeply before moving his tongue and teeth to her jaw and neck. She pushed his jacket off his shoulders and raised her leg to hook over his hip and he ran a hand down her side, reaching through the slit and lifting her higher and tighter against him. She moaned and ground her hips against him, seeking friction. 

He pulled back suddenly and pressed his forehead to hers, breathing heavily as she unbuttoned his shirt. “Anne.” He murmured. “I missed this so much. I missed you so much. I feel like I’ve been drowning for years and I can finally breathe again.” He grasped her chin lightly and looked into her eyes, her hands stilled on his shirt. “I love you so much, Anne. More than life itself. I never stopped.” 

She gave him a watery smile. “I love you too. As much as I tried...I never stopped either.” 

He pressed his lips to hers and she continued with his buttons before pushing it off completely and grabbing his hand, pulling him into the condo, scanning the place as she went. “You did okay.” She said. “Maybe a bit more decorating to be done.” 

“You can put anything you want in here.” He said, wrapping his arms around her from behind and kissing her neck. She let him kiss her down her shoulder and back up to her ear. He concentrated on the sweet spot just below her ear that he remembered drove her crazy. After a minute of nipping and licking the spot she gasped at him. 

“Gilbert. Remember what I said about this dress? It’s time to take it off.” He chuckled and stepped back a little to grab the zipper at her back, he lowered it slowly, kissing the exposed skin as it slid open. When it got to her lower back he stopped and knelt down to press kisses to the skin just above her ass for a minute before he slid his hands inside the dress and pushed it the rest of the way down, letting it pool at her feet. His breath caught in his throat. She was completely naked under the dress. He ran his teeth and tongue over her buttocks for a minute until she moaned and then he stood up and turned her around, kissing her deeply and running his hands up and down her back. 

Suddenly he grabbed her hand and pulled her into the bedroom. “I bought a mattress.” He said proudly and she laughed. 

“I see that.” 

“Want to try it out?” He grinned at her and she laughed again. 

“I do.” She sat down on the edge and leaned down to take her shoes off but he stopped her and knelt down, unbuckling the straps and running his lips along the inside of her knees. She laid back flat on the bed, arms above her head, enjoying the sensations. When he got the shoes off, she scooted back on the bed to rest her head on his pillows. He stood up and gazed down at her. 

“Jesus, Anne.” She watched him drink her in and the look of lust and love in his eyes was almost too much. “I don’t know how it’s possible but you’re even more beautiful now.” He murmured. 

She smiled and pointed at him. “You’re still wearing entirely too much clothing, Dr. Blythe.” She said as she ran one hand from her neck, over her breast, down to her stomach then traveled it back up. His breathing became ragged as he watched her and he started pulling the rest of his clothes off hastily. Once naked he started to kneel on the bed but she stopped him. 

“Wait. I want to look at you too.” She said quietly and he froze. She ran her eyes lazily up and down his body a few times. His shoulders were broader, his arms and legs more muscular and there was a scar across his shoulder that wasn’t there before. She’d have to ask him about that later. Finally she smiled up at him and crooked her finger which was all the invitation he needed and he was on her in an instant, kissing her urgently, tongue twisting with hers. He moved his mouth over her jaw and neck and down to her breasts. He sucked and nipped at one nipple making her moan and twist her hands in his hair then he moved to the other one. His hand traveled down her stomach slowly and she arched her back encouragingly. 

He groaned when his hand slipped between her legs. “Jesus, Anne. You’re so wet.” He muttered against her stomach and looked up to watch her as he slid one finger inside her then two. She gasped and closed her eyes tight, biting her lower lip and grinding down on his hand. She dug her hands into his hair and pushed his head further down. He chuckled lightly but happily followed her direction. He positioned himself between her legs and lifted her legs over his shoulders, kissing the inside of her thighs lightly. 

“Gilbert.” She moaned, clearly frustrated. 

“Yes?” He asked, nipping her inner thigh lightly.

“Stop teasing me.” She muttered. 

“I’m just getting reacquainted.” He said innocently but before she could respond he slid his tongue along her folds, licking a long strip up to her clit. 

“Fuck!” She bucked against him as he concentrated on the nub of nerves. He slid two fingers back inside her as he sucked, pumping into her as she ground down on his hand. He felt her clench around him and added a third finger as her arousal flooded onto his hand and she cried out his name. When her breathing steadied she tugged on his hair to pull him back up to her, flipping him over on his back quickly. She kissed him deeply, moaning at the taste of herself on his tongue and lips. His hands moved down and gripped her ass and she lowered herself, sliding her folds along his length. 

He closed his eyes and swallowed hard, relishing in the feel of her after so many years apart. “Open your eyes, Gil.” She murmured and he did, staring into hers as she lowered herself slowly onto him. They both sucked in their breath until he was fully inside of her. She stilled briefly and then began rocking against him slowly. He held her steady and met her thrusts while she moved her hands to her breasts and threw her head back. When she squeezed her nipples and moaned louder he sat up quickly, snaking an arm around her waist and thrusting up into her, lips wrapped around her nipple. 

She sped up her rhythm as he alternated biting and licking her nipples, suddenly she clenched around him, digging her nails into his shoulder and gasping. “Oh God, Gilbert.” She cried out, blinded by her pleasure. He waited a beat then swiftly flipped her over on her back, thrusting into her, face buried in her neck. Her legs tightened around him. “Yes, Gil. Fuck me hard.” She murmured and he willingly obliged. It wasn’t long before he felt the pressure build and he spilled himself inside of her with a groan, teeth sinking lightly into her shoulder. 

They laid there breathing hard for a long time, her legs and arms wrapped tightly around him. When he finally came to his senses he kissed the spot on her shoulder where his teeth had marked her, then moved his lips across her chest, up her neck and jaw before finally finding her lips again. After a minute he pulled away and moved to her side, pulling her against him and kissing her shoulder some more. 

“Anne.” He murmured against her ear. 

“Mmm?” She responded, eyes closed and perfectly sated. 

“I’m so sorry.” He whispered. “I’m sorry that I put myself in the kind of situation where you couldn’t trust me. I’m sorry we lost so much time together.” 

She turned over and saw the tears in his eyes. She slid a leg over his hip and pulled him close, raising one hand to his cheek. “It’s okay, my love. The whole situation is so...wrong and frustrating and unbelievable. I’m sorry you had to go through all those years with a guilt that you didn’t deserve.” He turned his face to kiss her palm. “It’s always going to be a part of our past, and as much as we may want to we can’t change that. But - I don’t want it to taint our future. I’m more than willing to move past it if you are.” 

He let out another ragged breath and pulled her closer to him, her head tucked under his chin. “You have no idea how much those words mean to me, sweetheart.” He whispered, stroking her hair. 

They talked quietly through the night about anything and everything, pausing periodically to make love again or doze off for a bit. She woke up when the sun began to peak through the floor to ceiling windows in his room, his arm was wrapped around her torso and he was snoring lightly. As much as she relished the feel of him she had to use the facilities and carefully extricated herself from him. He stirred slightly but didn’t wake as she pulled his discarded undershirt on and went to the restroom. Then she tiptoed into the kitchen, quietly puttering around and pulling out ingredients to make omelets. She was happily stirring the eggs at the counter when she felt his strong arms wrap tightly around her stomach, pulling her back against his chest, he pressed his lips into her neck. 

“Good morning.” He murmured. 

Feeling him harden against her, she pressed back and ground her ass against him causing him to press against her harder. 

“Good morning to you.” She murmured and gasped slightly when one of his hands slid down over her stomach and between her legs. 

“Mmm.” He nipped her neck as he dragged a finger through her folds. “So ready for me already?” 

“I could say the same for you.” She gasped as he slid a finger inside of her. 

“Well. From the moment I saw this place I fantasized about walking into the kitchen and seeing you like this.” He slid another finger in. 

“Making omelets?” She choked out, grasping the edge of the counter to keep steady. 

“Hair mussed up from a night of debauchery, standing in my t-shirt with nothing on underneath.” He continued working his fingers inside her as he slid his other hand under the shirt, fitting perfectly over her breast. 

“What happened next in this fantasy?” She managed to gasp out as he pressed himself against her bare ass. 

“Do you want me to tell you or show you?” He asked, rolling her nipple between his fingers. 

“Both.” She managed and she felt him pull away quickly to remove his boxers. She started to lift his shirt over her head but he stopped her.

“Leave it on.” He ordered and she shivered with anticipation. “First, you’d go face down on the counter.” He pushed her upper back lightly and she complied until her cheek was pressed to the cold granite. “Then I’d spread your legs wider.” He knelt down and she could feel his breath on the back of her thighs as he nudged them apart. “Then I would kiss my way up one thigh.” He did so, stopping at one ass cheek to bite it gently then moving back down to her knee. “Then I’d kiss my way up the other.” He performed the same action to the other and she moaned loudly.

“Then what?” She got out, breathing heavily. 

“Then this.” He murmured, spreading her legs further apart and sliding his tongue inside of folds. Her legs quivered and she gasped his name as she came quickly, already so turned on. He stood up behind her as she came down and she lifted herself on her tiptoes and then felt him position himself at her entrance, rubbing the tip lightly against her, knees bent slightly to make up the height difference. 

“And then I would fuck you from behind until you scream my name.” He thrust himself fully into her in one quick movement making her gasp. She scrambled to reach across the counter and grab the other edge for purchase. He began moving fast and hard, one hand on her hip to hold her steady and one wrapped in her hair. “Do you like this, sweetheart?” He muttered. 

“Yes, Gil.” She gasped out. “God yes, I love it so much, don’t stop.” 

“What do you love?” He asked, squeezing her hip. 

“I love how hard and deep you are.” She moaned. “I love how you feel inside me. I missed you so much. It’s so fucking good.”

“So fucking good.” He echoed, pumping into her. He unintentionally tightened his grip in her hair and she moaned louder. “Oh you like that too?” He murmured. “That’s new.” He tightened his grip a little more.

“Yes.” She gasped. “Tell me what you love, Gil.” 

He gave a strangled laugh. “You. Everything about this. You’re so wet and hot and tight, sweetheart.” He felt her clench around him and the noises she was making started growing louder. “That’s right, my love. Come for me.” He muttered, thrusting into her harder. He let go of her hair and moved his hand around to rub her clit. 

She tightened around him and grasped the edge of the counter hard as the pressure built. “Fuck yes! Gil! Gilbert! Oh God!” She screamed as the stars exploded behind her eyes. She felt his hips stutter against her as he came hard, grunting her name. 

He half bent over her, hands on either side of her ribs on the counter, catching his breath. He slid out of her and ran kisses up and down her back before pulling her up and turning her around, pressing her to his chest and kissing the top of her head. She felt like jelly in his arms and laid her cheek against his bare chest, listening to his heartbeat slow down to a steady rhythm. After a minute she pulled back and wrapped her arms around his neck, standing on her tiptoes and kissing him. 

“That was…” She started and shook her head. 

“Fucking fantastic?” He asked, grinning at her. 

“Fantastic. Incredible. Mind-blowing.” She laughed at his satisfied smile. “Are you hungry?” 

“Starving.” He admitted, letting her go. 

She pointed at the bowl of eggs. “You finish that, I’ll be back.” 

She came back a few minutes later wearing an old Harvard shirt of his and a pair of his work out shorts that she’d cinched the drawstring on. They talked and laughed as they made breakfast together, her at the stove flipping the omelets and him toasting bread and making coffee. 

They sat on the barstools at the island as they ate, touching each other constantly. He’d rest his hand on her knee and she’d push a curl back from his forehead or brush crumbs from his stubble. When they finished she washed the dishes while he dried and put them away. “I missed this so much too.” He gestured with a plate. 

“Washing dishes?” She laughed. 

“Just hanging out with you, doing regular, mundane things. Although nothing feels mundane with you next to me.” He kissed her cheek. “Do you remember that weekend we watched Delly so Bash and Mary could take an anniversary trip?” 

She laughed. “Yes! The place was a disaster and we had like two hours before they were due home to clean it up. I still think it’s a miracle Delly slept through that.” 

He chuckled. “I’ve honestly never had so much fun cleaning in my life.” 

“Uh that’s because you stopped me in the middle of cleaning the bathtub and fucked me as I bent over it.” She giggled at the memory. 

He grinned at her. “Oh yeah. That did make the whole thing more enjoyable.” 

She rolled her eyes at him as she finished the dishes. “So my car is still at the school. I was thinking maybe you could take me to pick it up. I can go back to my place and pack some things and then meet you back here for the rest of the weekend?” 

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in for a tight hug. “That is the most perfect idea I’ve ever heard.” He enthused, raining kisses on the top of her head. “I’ll stop and get us some groceries so we don’t have to leave again until Monday.” 

She smiled. “That’s perfect.”

He gave her a key to his place and she went home, watered her plants, changed into some cutoff shorts but kept his Harvard shirt on then packed a bag quickly before heading back to his place. She beat him there so she took the time to get some work done on her laptop. She heard him coming in a little while later and she jumped up to help him bring in the groceries. She was digging through the bags and he slipped his arms around her waist, nuzzling her neck. “I missed you.” He murmured. 

She laughed. “It’s been like an hour, Gil.” 

“So? Did you not miss me?” He pretended to sound wounded and she turned in his arms, wrapping hers around his neck. 

“I definitely did.” She leaned up to kiss him, parting his lips with hers and sliding her tongue in to tangle with his. After several minutes she broke it off, breathless. “We should probably put these away.” 

He smiled and they turned back to the groceries. “I uh - I hope you don’t mind but I got ingredients for you to make shepherd’s pie.” She glanced up at him and he looked so adorably hopeful she had to laugh. 

“Missed my shepherd’s pie, eh?” She asked. 

“God yes. It’s possible I have had more dreams about that than I had about you.” He grinned at her. 

“Oh is that right?” She laughed. “Well I don’t blame you, I am a rather fabulous cook.” 

Later that evening he was sitting on the barstool watching her prep for dinner, his lips curved up into a smile as she puttered around the kitchen humming to herself. She caught his look and stopped humming. “What?” She asked but couldn’t stop herself from matching his smile. 

He shook his head. “I just love you so much and I’m so happy.” 

She bit her bottom lip. “I’m happy too.” They stared at each other grinning stupidly for a minute until the oven beeping brought them back to reality. Anne turned around and opened the oven to slide the pie in and when she turned around Gilbert was right behind her. He pulled her into a tight hug and after a long minute he whispered into her ear. “Will you move in here with me?” 

“Yes.” She didn’t hesitate, grinning up at him. 

“Will you marry me too?” 

She raised her eyebrows. “Aiming high today, are we?” 

“We’ve wasted enough time. I don’t want to waste any more.” 

She pulled him down for a long, deep kiss. “Yes.” She whispered when they broke apart for air. “I will.” 

He pressed his forehead to hers and closed his eyes. “Tomorrow?” She giggled. “Too soon?” 

She shook her head. “Not too soon for me but maybe for our families. How about fall break? In Avonlea?” 

He smiled. “That’s perfect.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***Thank you Taylor Swift for one of the absolute sexiest lines in music history


End file.
